vaguely at the center of the die gaul be a screenplay for a potential movie . the plot of the would be movie and also call the dying gaul and concern a gay couple and what happen when one of them be face with aid . it would make a perfect movie and so say the studio exec who want to buy it and film it and except that the couple really doesn not have to be gay . and it doesn not really have to be call the dying gaul . and i guess it doesn not really have to be about aid . and and when you get right down to it and the plot of this film itself doesn not really have to be about hollywood and screen writing and homosexuality and aid and infidelity or betrayal . but it have to be about something for it to be worth our time . and it isn not . strip away the pretentiousness of the suppose noble symbolism of the die gaul and brush aside the trendiness of it be set in hollywood and and forget the faux importance of it exploit aid while and the dying gaul be nothing but a gimmicky soap opera with a contrive and not particularly honest twist . it a love triangle wherein the anonymity of an internet chat room not only become a vehicle for deceit but the basis for a seemingly supernatural scam . lover and or or rival build a wicked web of lie out of disguise be as old a drama and be the pretense come in the form of masked ball and con game and mistaken identity and innocent pen pal letter or cb radio . play such duplicity for laugh and this sort of romantic misdirection can work nicely and but the dying gaul have less in common with youve get mail than with the gloomy and pseudo realism of overwrought junk like closer . the neophyte screenwriter be robert ( peter sarsgaard ) and who write the script to honor his deceased partner and malcolm . jeffrey ( campbell scott ) be the producer who want to make the movie and but insist that the sexuality of the protagonist be irrelevant while straight or gay and it be all the same and pain and loss be universal but straight pain and loss be more commercial . he should know and jeff be bisexual and seem more interested in robert sword than his pen . but jeff love his wife and elaine ( patricia clarkson ) and who become fast friend with robert and until she figure out that the two guy be collaborate in more way than one . so far and so good . then writer or director craig lucas derail his entire project by let his entire film become hijack by a lame and contrive gimmick . elaine and use a fake identity and begin exchange message with robert via the internet and convince the already disturbed writer that he be actually communicate with the spirit of his dead lover . apparently dsl reach as far a heaven gate . even a the film prattle on about mythic theme and make reference to famed art and literature and yet sell out to a lame technological gimmick and it still have potential . elaine suddenly have the power to control robert and and indirectly and her husband . but elaine doesn not know what to do with her newfound power and and unfortunately neither do lucas . the confused story take a dark turn and it be obviously head for tragedy and but lucas balk at make the film either an outright thriller or even a psychologically twisted comedy . he have a cast of morally bankrupt character ( well act by excellent actor ) and but he seem unwilling to let any of them be the villain . each be paint a be capable of kill and but when death finally take a role in the story it be leave frustrate unclear whether a murder be even commit . the ambiguity be mean to be clever or disturb or shock and but it be really just a sign of incredibly bad writing . the film certainly doesn not play to our expectation . lucas be an acclaimed gay playwright and be probably best know for his script for longtime companion and a landmark in gay cinema . so when the film at first appear to be about the integrity of gay fiction compromise orientation and honesty to pander to a straight public there be a promise of the die gaul be a story of substance . but that quickly evaporate when the ineffectual robert far too easily sell out his value literary and sexual to the charming and pragmatic bisexual jeffrey . then there be the hope that the film will be about redemption and about robert regain his self respect and ethic but that never materialize and if anything the character grow increasingly amoral and increasingly less interesting . ultimately and the story seem intent on prove jeffrey right and that the sexuality of the protagonist be irrelevant while straight or gay and it be all the same and good and evil be hardly relevant . and and i suppose and there be some minor victory to be have by lucas show no need to be politically correct by make robert neither a role model nor a tragic hero but just another unredeemable human wretch . but the victory be very small and no more meaningful or gratify than robert ultimate reward . and for what be worth and jeffrey be right while the die gaul be a lousy title .