Writer-director Chris Mason Johnson’s award-winning first feature charts the lives of five New Yorkers, a mix of gay and straight best friends about to turn thirty. With emotionally vivid performances and nuanced characters, THE NEW TWENTY paints the portrait of a generation living the highs and lows of a Wall Street world destined to disappear overnight.
The year is 2006 and prosperity seems unending: two of the five are investment bankers, another works in advertising, another does freelance database design, and only one of the five might be called a slacker. But they all suffer from, as loner Felix puts it, & a touch of existential malaise courtesy of late capitalism. You know, the usual. So if money isn t the root of their discontent, what is? Whatever they re searching for – love, meaning in work – they won t find it in each other. On TV, friendship lasts forever. In real life, not so much.
THE NEW TWENTY reflects the zeitgeist of a new and happening generation, one in which gay and straight mix and it s not a big deal. This sense of tapping into the spirit of today places THE NEW TWENTY in the same genre as American Graffiti,The Big Chill and St. Elmo’s Fire.
Rating: 
(out of 9 reviews)
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September 16, 2010
#1
Review by Bob Lind
Rating:
Looking in on a group of close friends since college, seven years after graduation, things aren’t quite what they expected, even considering thirty is “The New Twenty” (2009).
There’s the “jock” of the group, Andrew (hunky former model Ryan Locke), who is looking for financing for an internet startup he believes will make him rich. He’s engaged to Asian-American Julie (Nicole Bilderback, who deserves the critical kudos she got for this role), who finds herself in the uncomfortable position of having to downplay the fact that she makes more money than her fiance’. Julie’s brother, advertising whiz-kid Tony (Andrew Wei Lin) is gay and dating an older man who is HIV+. In college, Felix (Thomas Sadoski) seemed most likely to succeed, but his inability to give up his drug use have turned him into an insecure addict. Then there’s the resident slacker, Ben (Colin Fickes), the other gay character, who wastes his days searching for online hookups and watching old TV shows.
The dynamics of the relationships between the five friends changes significantly, when Louie (Tony Serpico, a regular on “Army Wives”), a man in his 40′s whom Andrew meets playing cricket, enters into a business arrangement with Andrew, as well as a flirtation with Julie, with the other friends tagging along as they socialize. This comes to a head at Andrew’s bachelor bash, resulting in new resolutions by all, in order to get on with their lives.
A well-written, acted and directed film, and I love the way the gay and straight characters mesh comfortably. However, I thought it to be a bit predictable in parts, and somewhat negative in that it concentrated on everyone’s failures. DVD includes commentary (labeled as “documentary”), deleted scenes and a music video. Overall, it’s worth a look, and I give it four stars out of five.
September 16, 2010
#2
Review by Amos Lassen
Rating:
“The New Twenty”
Friends in the City
Amos Lassen
Coming from Wolfe Video, “The New Twenty” is about the lives and the loves of a group of 29 year old friends in New York City. They begin to betray themselves and each other because of sex, money and drugs. Andrew (Ryan Locke) is at the center of the group of friends. He is the typical alpha male–tall, lean, blonde and handsome, an investment banker with a beautiful Asian fiancée. Member of his circle are Ben (Colin Fickes) who is overweight and gay and addicted to internet sex sites, Felix (Thomas Sadoski), a druggie, and commitment-phobic Tony (Andrew Wei Lin).
This is a light film that has plenty of twists and turns and it is the acting ensemble that keeps the film interesting. We see the actors in their private moments and this makes this film become a personal story. Chris Mason Johnson directed this with a loving touch. Sure, the idea is not new but the execution is. Thinking that 30 is the age for midlife crises, each actor relates to it in his own way. The relationships are complex and the group represents the palette of sexual orientation, professional aspiration and personal desires. Bonds of friendship slip away as each ventures on this personal journey. They have been friends and together since college and now as the age of 30 approaches, they find their lives to be in a state of upheaval. Andrew begins a risky financial venture and is about to become married to Julie who stays at her job because she gets promoted often. Tony< Julie's brother becomes involved with a professor who is HIV positive. Felix is a lost soul on the highway of life and is a borderline drug addict and quite possibly was once in love with Julie. Ben is a bear cub who has a myriad of neuroses. All of the characters are self-absorbed. It is the witty script and the lively cast that keeps us watching and enjoying. When one states that "30 is the new 20", we see where these guys are going and we are perfectly content to go with them.
September 16, 2010
#3
Review by Cinephile
Rating:
Very good movie! Much more sophisticated and nuanced than you might think from the cover art. It’s not a “gay movie” at all, in fact, in the niche sense; it simply has a couple gay characters in it. It’s a group friends movie (St. Elmo’s Fire, The Big Chill, Diner, etc.) – which is a subgenre I enjoy – and what’s nice about THE NEW TWENTY in terms of that is the ending. Won’t give it away – just will say that it’s not the usual cringe-worthy happily-ever-after thing – “we’ll all be friends forever” – but something much smarter and more complex. And there’s actually a sense of SOCIAL REALITY in the movie that’s believable and true. Also really enjoyed depiction of gay and straight male friends that was simply presented as: NOT A BIG DEAL. Like it is in life. ALL the acting is really excellent. I don’t know these actors except the guy from the Hal Hartley movies (Bill Sage) – but they all do a great job. Lots of subtle, quiet moments where you really get a feel for the characters and their inner lives. And all-in-all there’s a nice pace to it also. It has a dynamic, entertaining feel. A very good American indie that’s much smarter and more stylish than the usual!
September 16, 2010
#4
Review by Elisa
Rating:
The New Twenty is an example of how you can do a drama movie without being overtly angst. I will not spoil it, enough to say that, it’s far from being happily ever after, but at least there is a bit of hope, there is at least one story that has a romantic “happy” ending, and for the “ever after”, well, it’s let to the spectator to decide.
The movie is also a mix of situations, gay and straight; of the 5 friends, 3 are straight, and 2 in a relationship between them, and 2 are gay. Of the two gay, 1 is the classic example of cute boy that you don’t understand why it’s still single, and 1 is a coach potato (not my words, but of another reviewer); true be told, Ben is far from being attractive if you look him without attention, but if you pay a bit more attention, those cute blue eyes have a reason
In the end there is the habitat; midlle wealth, not extremely poor but not even filthy rich. Again, probably in the average, perfect for the message the movie wanted to convey.
September 16, 2010
#5
Review by Roland E. Zwick
Rating:
***1/2
Seven years after graduation, five buddies from college – four men and a woman, all living in New York City – face the grim prospect of turning thirty. Andrew (Ryan Locke) is an investment banker who’s just gotten engaged to his long time girlfriend, Julie (Nicole Bilderback), who works for a rival firm (he’s Morgan, she’s Merrill); Felix (Thomas Sadoski) is a drug addict who`s struggling to hide his condition from his friends as well as maintain a relationship with a fellow user; Ben (Colin Fickes) is an unattractive, overweight gay man who can’t get anyone to go out with him; and Tony (Andrew Wei Lin) is an attractive, fit gay man who falls for a college professor with HIV. All five have reached that critical point where’s it’s time to start taking stock of their lives – to find out where they are and, more importantly, where they’re headed.
“The New Twenty” is the debut feature for writer/director Chris Mason Johnson and, while the hand of the novice is evident in certain aspects of the movie, Johnson also reveals some real potential as a filmmaker. The relationships among the various characters are, for the most part, unusual and interesting, regardless of whether they are personal or business-related in nature. The storytelling can be a bit choppy at times and the acting occasionally uneven, but there are enough moments of genuine insight and emotional force to make the movie worth checking out. The fact that it feels more like a still-rough-around-the-edges first draft than a fully polished and completed work in its own right is actually what gives the movie its greatest authenticity and appeal.