A brilliant film that helped define a genre

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

The movie is made so realistic it has a lot of that WoW feeling at the right moments and never tooo over the top. the suspense is done so well and the emotion is felt. Very well put together with the music and all.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

So we met a very conservative Mormon guy called Aaron Davis and a wild party guy who is a waiter Christian. Aaron technically doesn't want to be found out by his parents that he is gay and Christian is so in love with him. Even though we know that both guys made but the best thing of this movie was they were talking and honestly showed compassion for each other! I wish all gay movies would consider this as its just so mind-blowing! However what put me off with the film was that the next day, Aaron just left Christian without saying goodbye and went back to his parents like he did say that he doesn't want to be a member anymore! Then as Christian was trying to ring Aaron and the mother picked it up, she said ' I lost my son because of you'. I thought is she saying Aaron died from cut wounds. This was not the case at all, they put him in a asylum and we only found out near the end like! Excellent movie but can be confusing at times!

SPOILERS. If you want to check if the film has a happy ending, keep reading. If you don't, keep scrolling.Recently, I've become obsessed with films with gay male leads and I have no idea why. Anyway, I was looking for another on to watch. This film did not disappoint. Initially, I didn't like the character of Chris but I learned to love him. The relationship between Chris and Aaron was a bit too accelerated for my liking (I think the 'L' word came a bit - no, a lot- too soon, but it was good all the same. The speech that Chris gave about mixing colours with whites was a perfect reiteration of their previous conversation spoken int he perfect way. The sex scene was beyond glorious and their relationship on screen, although brief, was brilliant. My heart dropped when Chris woke up and Aaron was gone and even more when I realised what the bowl of water meant for Aaron's fate. I almost stopped watching when I saw the blade but I battled through. When Aaron's mother said that she'd "lost (her) son" my heart sank. Then, when we're reintroduced to the character, my heart lifted to the highest it's ever been. Their reunion was perfect and it had the ideal ending.

Back in the 1930s and 40s, a popular genre film was the womens film, quickly made but well-crafted romances with Carole Lombard, Kay Francis, Joan Crawford, or Bette Davis, films in which the lead character struggled with her values and sometimes her career in order to find, at last, True Love. This film is not too far removed in spirit, intelligently updated, no doubt, but still basically and essentially a Romance, even if it does confront a modern dragon in the guise of fundamentalist religion. I never found that watching this film was dull, as the plot is compelling even if one suspects the ending--the actors are appealingly fresh and attractive, the villains far too easy to boo, but veteran Jacqueline Bisset turns in a warm tribute in the mode of Lauren Bacall school as a wise restaurateur, and there are other cameos that are a delight;For a young person struggling with coming out of the closet, this film might be a joy and a revelation; for others, less so. It is film crafted with affection at a time when there is massive and social change and certainly reflects how various liberties can clash in a multi-layered culture.

I stumbled upon this film just a couple of days ago and it's stayed with me ever since. I've already watched it twice.One thing I like VERY much about "Latter Days" is that it has a happy ending. So many gay-themed films, even when revolving around romance, end in death or disillusionment. It's refreshing to witness a portrayal of a gay couple who, despite a great deal of conflict and major obstacles, find true love and a future together. It DOES happen in real life and, to that end, the film is as "realistic" as any tragedy.Many of the actors deserve mention: Wes Ramsey as Christian, the gay party boy, is excellent. Jacqueline Bissett, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Mary Kay Place and Erik Palladino bring something special to their smaller roles. But it is Steve Sandvoss who knocks it out of the park as Elder Aaron Davis, the sweet, shy Mormon missionary who comes to terms with his homosexuality amid the confines of the LDS beliefs.The film is clichéd, no question, but no more so than many romantic movies. If your taste veers toward complete realism, this isn't the film for you. "Latter Days" is basically a drama, but it does contain its share of comedic moments. I myself am not, nor ever have been, a member of the Mormon church, but I have spent a good deal of time around it and have had a number of LDS friends. While I have a certain amount of genuine respect for the church, I would be lying if I said that the portrayals of the Mormon missionaries and families in this film do not ring true.There are a few unbelievable moments, to be sure. As an example, when Christian confronts Elder Ryder about Aaron's whereabouts, Ryder gives in and tells Christian about Aaron's five-hour layover in Salt Lake City. In reality, no missionary with such a lack of sympathy toward "fags" would suddenly soften enough to give out this information."Latter Days" may not be one of the great films of all time, but it brings to light the complex problems that can exist between organized religion, families and homosexuality, with pathos and sensitivity, along with a tug at the heartstrings. For that, it is more than commendable.