Casserole Club, The

By: Robert O'Neill
In-House Review - Jun 20 2012

Versatile director Steve Balderson (Stuck!, Watch Out) returns with this scandalous new story about swinging in the '60s.

Based in 1969, the film follows a group of childless suburban couples who start getting together for dinner parties on a weekly basis. As the group becomes collectively more during the first party, they start fooling around with one another and acting out fantasies they had previously kept hidden. However, what begins as an exciting weekly respite from the strict boundaries of married life soon takes an emotionally destructive turn when the men begin inviting newcomers and jealousy starts bubbling to the surface.

The Casserole Club does a pretty good job of creating the feel of another era on a clearly low budget ? the costumes and hair are wonderful and the '60s-inspired opening credit sequence is thrilling. The ensemble cast delivers brave, credible performances, but you'll be hard-pressed to find a likeable character in the mix. This might have worked better if the film had been made as a campy comedy ? with selfish, hormone-driven actions played for laughs. As it is, the film takes a few dark turns that don't go down so easily without characters to care about too deeply. Steve Balderson and screenwriter Frankie Krainz completely earn their eventual wallow in regret and despair ? it's clear from the first scene that these people are likely in for some kind of downfall ? but getting through it might take some of the wind out of your sail.

There are two scenes in The Casserole Club that will be of particular interest to gay male audiences. The first features an undenyably sexy exhange wherin one lusty, half-closeted married man seduces a slightly younger, seemingly straight stud who gives in to his harmless curiosity. Their second interaction, however, proves far less titilating - the straight guy has regrets about their coupling during the stark, sobering light of day.