No One Sleeps

2000
5| 1h48m| R| en
Details

Stefan, a young gay East German medical student, arrives in San Francisco for a medical congress and is following the trail of his dead father, a once high ranking AIDS researcher in the East. Stefan is investigating whether the HIV virus was an incremental result of secret human experiments that were conducted in US prisons in the seventies - a thesis of the Berlin professor, Jakob Segal, which was spread by state agents of former East Germany. At the same time, a serial killer is haunting the gay bars of the city and is killing HIV positive long-term survivors.

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Also starring Jim Thalman

Reviews

BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment
MoPoshy Absolutely brilliant
CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.
Lachlan Coulson This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.
hddu10 The plot is simply too convoluted to describe with any effectiveness (I figure, hey...if the writer didn't care enough to create a good script, why should I have to care about writing a good synopsis)? It seems as though this film were intentionally trying to fill some kind of affirmative-action quota fantasy; the lead detective characters are of course a tough, elderly Jewish lesbian and a strong black woman. Add in an evil corporation, government conspiracy, anti-Christian bigotry and well, you got yourself a steamy pile of celluloid that no one has ever heard about, let alone watched. Oddly, the lead character, Tom Wlaschiha, is known more for his side-character in "The Game of Thrones"...I would never have possibly imagined him carrying a lead role in any movie (and this is proof why he shouldn't). Just...no.
mmenke-1 I don't give much credence to AIDS conspiracy theories but its sociologically interesting to see the phenomenon dramatized. In the early years of the AIDS epidemic, the suffering and paranoia of the scared and dying often generated such dark fantasies. This was especially true in the politically radical and sexually extreme demi-monde of San Francisco. The city, renowned for its beauty, has rarely appeared uglier than in this film. A sense of darkness and decomposition pervades every scene.While the acting and plot can't be said to be well-done the films unique cultural context and oppressively dark mood at least partly saves the film from being a complete loss. Actually, I found the most interesting performance to be Irit Levi as a crusty and cynical Jewish, lesbian (?) police detective. She's interesting, though not necessarily convincing.Highlights: the film's use of the garishly tragic Turandot is an effective motif and there is a sublime silent cameo by iconic performance artist, Ron Athey.
ActShawnn This must be perhaps one of the worst gay films ever made. A contrived plot based on a popular conspiracy can't keep this one afloat. And Irit Levi's acting deserves a Razzie for her static, cardboard as a Domino's Pizza delivery. She's the one who rose above the rest! As far as the sound editing, it's like they filmed it in a long narrow tunnel... made of tin......I thought maybe it was a stylistic effect- for the people on the right drugs. And what's up with that freak in the sex club scene? What is up with this whole film?
Bob Verini A not-uninteresting, if somewhat contrived premise -- a gay grad student comes to San Francisco to continue his late father's research into the alleged US govt. creation of the AIDS virus, happening to arrive just as a serial killer connected with the plot is starting his work. But the story is as muddled as the soundtrack, and the student has to be the most hapless and inept amateur sleuth in movie history: A key suspect is right under his very nose (not to mention other body parts) but it never occurs to him to investigate, or even be a little nervous....The S&M sex stuff has nothing to do with the story, it's just there for sensationalism. And some sort of special Oscar should be invented for performances of the badness of Irit Levy's as the detective.