''The Cost of Love'' is a 2010 gay-themed film by

Carl Medland Carl may refer to: *Carl, Georgia, city in USA *Carl, West Virginia, an unincorporated community *Carl (name), includes info about the name, variations of the name, and a list of people with the name *Carl², a TV series * "Carl", List of Aqua Teen ...

, his debut long feature released by Discovery Films UK. It was shot in Greenwich area in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

starring

Christopher Kelham Christopher Kelham is a British film actor and producer best known for his lead role as Dale in the 2010 film '' The Cost of Love''. Filmography *2001: '' Representative Radio'' as Ben *2004: ''Fakers'' as Tim *2005: '' What's Your Name 41?'' a ...

as Dale. The film shows diverse characters and the price they pay for falling in love. ''The Cost of Love'' was an Official Selection for End of Pier International Film Festival in 2010 and the festival's closing number. It was screened in 2010 at the

East End Film Festival The East End Film Festival was one of the UK's largest film festivals. It ceased all operations on 4 March 2020. The owner, Alison Poltock, explained that "the push to provide a more mainstream commercial offering is not for us." Founded in 200 ...

where it was nominated for "Best UK Debut Feature".

Plot

Told mostly in first person, it is the story of Dale (

), in which reality and fantasy intermingle so that the viewer is left to wonder at all times if a scene (or all scenes) are actual or Dale's imagination. Dale is a hustler who from the onset of the film says he likes sex, lots of it and in all of its varied forms, including S&M. He spends his days cruising parks and saunas for casual sex or prostituting to high-paying clients making their sexual fantasies come true. Upfront with his sexuality and his hustling ways to everybody, Dale's hard exterior is a mask to hide his very fragile shattered interior. He has developed a rampant imagination and fantasies of his own that he resorts to in many situations he is in. Dale has longed for his best friend since childhood, the "straight" Raj (Valmike Rampersad) and has developed very romantic feelings towards him. Dale is shocked when Raj asks him to become his best man at a hastily arranged wedding with Veena (Mandeesh Gill),Entertainment Focus: Review of Cost of Love
a children's teacher. But there is more to it, since it turns out she is terminally ill and has only a few months to live. Besides Raj, the other main character is Sean (Michael Joyce, also known in gay scene as the drag artist Estee Applauder) who is Dale's confidant and has an obvious crush on him. Sean has to deal with Christine (Caroline Burns Cooke). There is also Ricardo (Israel Cassol) who is a Brazilian hunk escort, friend of Dale, and a partner in many of his hustling acts. Pete (Robert Gray) is another character who has to come to terms with his sexuality through his involvement with Dale in a series of role-playing abusive relationship. Secrets are revealed when a stranger, Richard (Frank Jakeman), starts frequenting a bar where Sean is performing and makes approaches to reveal deep family secrets. Homophobia is there with the murder of a young gay man on the Heath, a notable night-time cruising ground in London. Viewers are kept guessing whether this is actually Ricardo or some unknown character as Dale and Sean visit the site to put some flowers. This is also the prelude for a (real or imagined) fantasy scene where Dale is being murdered during an S&M act while he is fantasizing every detail of the gruesome torture and murder. And in a dreamlike "funeral scene", all the grieving characters are present in the church to "mourn" Dale's loss, while Dale is commenting on their lives after his departure, while they are reminiscing on the impact Dale had on all their lives.

Cast

as Dale *Michael Joyce as Sean * Valmike Rampersad as Raj * Mandeesh Gill as Veena * Caroline Burns Cooke as Christine *

Jan Hirst Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to: Acronyms * Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN * Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code * Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group * Japanese Article Numb ...

as Marian * Israel Cassol as Ricardo *

Arin Alldridge The American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) is the regional Internet registry for Canada, the United States, and many Caribbean and North Atlantic islands. ARIN manages the distribution of Internet number resources, including IPv4 and IPv ...

as Andy * Robert Gray as Pete *

Darren Petrucci Darren is a masculine given name of uncertain etymological origins. Some theories state that it originated from an Anglicisation of the Irish first name Darragh or Dáire, meaning "Oak Tree". According to other sources, it is thought to come from ...

as Dominic *

as Dale's father *

Frank Jakeman Frank or Franks may refer to: People * Frank (given name) * Frank (surname) * Franks (surname) * Franks, a medieval Germanic people * Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang Curre ...

as Richard (Others in alphabetical order) *Chris Bowe as Sauna boy *Cairns Richard Brett as Cruising man *Kylie Cobley as Veena's friend *Elizabeth Cooper as Waitress *Joanna Croll as Nurse *Jared Davies as Clubber *Robert Emmanuel as Bully *Gary Fakes as Schoolboy escort *Neil Kelly as Mike *Dominic Kemp as Sauna boy 2 *Steve Milne as TV presenter *Stephanie Thompson as Mum in park

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cost Of Love 2010 films British LGBT-related films Gay-related films 2010 directorial debut films 2010s English-language films 2010s British films