Review of Before I Forget (2007) by Mikael K — 12 Sep 2008

With any luck, the English title will attract and confound some young Slipknot fans. Only then will the term "rentboy" have any chance of entering the midwestern mallcore vernacular. Unfortunately, Nolot's unflinching film will probably never gain a large audience- even in gay community. This appears to matter little to him. This is more an exercise in near-masochistic self examination and soul searching. Although it is not entirely autobiographical, it takes a great deal of courage to reveal your worn body to the world as he does. He is refreshingly self deprecating and matter of fact about his characters' reliance on expected inheritances, empty, family-less existences and desperate attempts to cling to their pasts.

"Before I Forget" is essentially plotless, its strength lies in the well observed daily routines and its decision to use truly human characters instead of the trite caricatures so often found in gay-themed film. It's not a film to love, but one to keep in the back of your mind as your own twilight days begin to loom. Will you or I be able to lurch forward with the same quiet, public dignity as Nolot? Only time will tell.