DVD Review: Love Or Whatever

Love Or Whatever is a somewhat silly, quirky, and ultimately sweet and endearing love story about a man who is a bit uptight and finds a new passion after his long-term boyfriend cheats on him. It stars Tyler Poelle, Joel Rush, David Wilson Page, Jennifer Elise Cox and Jenica Bergere.

The film opens with a question. Corey (Tyler Poelle) asks, “So what happened after that?” The woman seated opposite him, who is all scraped up, says she was attacked by a mountain lion. The film immediately sets a funny tone when the woman asks, “Have you ever been taken from behind by a mountain lion,” then admits (perhaps even brags), “It wasn’t half bad.” Goofy? Certainly. But funny.

Jon (David Wilson Page) comes in to have his way with Corey, yet as he strips, Corey tries to neatly put away the items on his desk – a cute way of establishing an important character trait. Corey intends to propose to Jon, and has had the ring for a few months, waiting for the perfect moment. But before that can happen, Jon discovers the ring, and his reaction is less than ideal. He immediately leaves for a bar and ends up cheating on Corey with a woman.

By the way, there is an excellent and interesting transition there, cutting from Jon with Melissa (Jenica Bergere) in her car to Jon in bed with Corey. When Corey hastily proposes, Jon admits his indiscretion and says he thinks he’s bisexual. As Jon leaves, Corey yells, “And don’t come back until you’re gay again,” a funny moment.

There is then a musical montage of Corey alone. It seems a bit early in the film for a montage, but it fits with the cute tone of the film. And soon Corey realizes that one of his patients is the woman that Jon is dating. But soon Corey meets Pete (Joel Rush), who may be just want Corey needs.

There are lots of things to like about this film. Some of them are small moments, little details. For example, early in the film when Corey comes home, Jon is on the phone with his parents, and they are clearly completely accepting of their son’s relationship. That is so refreshing. And when Corey tries online dating, there are some seriously hilarious moments. One man is much older than Corey expected, so Corey says, “Your profile said you were twenty-five.” The man responds, “Yes, I was twenty-five.” There is some very silly sexual innuendo in this scene. And then there is some completely hilarious stuff with another date and his puppet. It’s over-the-top, but it totally works.

Sure, some of the jokes are a bit stupid and fall flat, like a joke about Corey’s balls hurting, but I really like the overall feel of the film. There are some really nice performances, particularly by Tyler Poelle as Corey and Jennifer Elise Cox as Kelsey, Corey’s sister. One thing I love about this film is the brother-sister relationship, and a lot of the humor comes from their interactions. In one scene Kelsey is eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and Corey gets upset, reminding her he’s allergic. Kelsey responds: “You’re not allergic, you just hate it. There’s a difference.” And ultimately this film has a lot of heart, which is wonderful.

Love Or Whatever was directed by Rosser Goodman, and was released on DVD on July 22, 2014 through Canteen Outlaws and TLA Releasing. The DVD includes the film’s trailer.