Tiger Orange

Estranged brothers--both gay but otherwise completely different--are reunited following the death of their homophobic father in the winning Tiger Orange. Set in a small California town where homosexuality is tolerated (as long as it remains beneath most people's radar), the story finds older brother Chet (Mark Strano, who co-wrote the script) keeping a low profile as a single proprietor of the hardware store that his late father owned and operated. Chet sticks to his modest ways and habits, doesn't pursue relationships, and puts up with his older, folksier customers who advise him to find a nice girl and settle down. But Chet's equanimity is undone when his brother Todd (Frankie Valenti)--a likable, flamboyant ne'er-do-well--returns home from Los Angeles and moves in. Heavily tattooed and openly gay, Todd ruffles the town's feathers, putting Chet in more than one awkward situation. And beneath these surface conflicts lies simmering resentment: Todd wasn't there while Chet was taking care of their dad, and Chet got the approval from dad that Todd craved. Valenti (formerly an adult film star under a different name) is quite good, as is Strano, who seems to almost physically change when his character begins to be more upfront about his sexuality. Recommended. (T. Keogh)