FIRE ISLAND

The script by stand-up comedian Joel Kim Booster does a nice job at supplanting Jane Austin to the finely defined world of gay dating.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that movies based on Jane Austin books seldom disappoint. Fire Island, an adaptation of Pride and Prejudice that is at the same time loose and fittingly faithful, is as good a case as anything to prove that point.

The movie takes place on the titular island - a yearly retreat for the LGBTQI-community - where we follow a group of five male friends, standing in for the Bennett sisters, who not necessarily try to find love but al least aim for some good sex. The script by stand-up comedian Joel Kim Booster does a nice job at supplanting the 19th century mores and morals of Austin's novel to the finely defined dating world of gay America, as he effortlessly drops the viewer into a fascinating and often funny world.

Not surprisingly Booster gives himself the plum Elizabeth Bennett part, but his limited acting skills don't do the role justice. Conrad Ricamora however, in the Mister Darcy role, is a revelation whose performance lifts the entire film.

Overall, one can nit-pick quite bit at Fire Island yet as a funny, engaging, at times touching piece of light entertainment, the film's up there with the better ones.

release: 2022

director: Andrew Ahn

starring: Joel Kim Booster, Bowen Yang, Margaret Cho, Conrad Ricamora