Just One Time

This sweet comedy of sexual confusion begins with Anthony (Lane Janger), a New York City fireman who's madly in love with his fiancée Amy (Joelle Carter), but who can't shake his fantasy of seeing Amy being sexually intimate with another woman. With their wedding looming over them, Amy finally agrees to play along--but only if Anthony will do the same for her. Reluctantly, Anthony agrees to go out on a date with their young gay neighbor Victor (Guillermo Diaz). Anthony brings his fellow firemen along for safety, only they end up having more fun than he does. Meanwhile, Amy starts spending time with Michelle (Jennifer Esposito), a lesbian woodworker, and starts getting a little more comfortable with the idea than Anthony ever expected. What makes Just One Time stand out is the respect it gives its characters. Each is a well-written, fully realized individual, not merely a plot device. The story is unpredictable and gently funny. Though the dialogue is often clever, much more humor is found in body language--the myriad ways that people communicate things they're afraid to say out loud. It doesn't hurt that the entire cast is extremely sexy and wears skimpy outfits in the hot New York summer. Esposito is particularly charming. --Bret Fetzer