The title characters here are boy-band brothers, one washed-up and clinging to a solo career, the other just making his first Teen Beat cover--but you wouldn't know it from the story, which has nothing to do with their so-called musical careers. Harry and Max revolves around a fraternal-bonding camping trip in which the brothers' sexual histories (including with each other) bubble to the surface. Curiously, writer-director Christopher Munch (The Sleepy Time Gal) doesn't seem to think this is any big deal; in fact, despite overwriting and over-staging every scene for a maximum of shallow soul-plumbing, Munch tries incredibly hard to be nonchalant about incest, pedophilia, and more, suggesting that his characters are as well-adjusted--or maybe as screwed up--as anyone else. Only the older brother's drinking problem seems to raise a red flag in Munch's talky-talk plot. The performances by Bryce Johnson (of WB's Popular) and Cole Williams (of ABC's 8 Simple Rules) ring with authenticity--if you accept the premise that these two are just everyday guys--but the film itself comes across as nothing more than an attempt to affirm a sense of I'm-OK-you're-OK normality for any viewers with similar issues in their own lives. Not a necessary purchase. (R. Blackwelder)
Harry and Max
TLA, 74 min., not rated, DVD: $24.99, July 19 Volume 20, Issue 4
Harry and Max
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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