Originally entitled "Deep In You", this British import will no doubt draw comparisons with 1996's "Beautiful Thing". Like the earlier film, "Like It Is" deals with the dilemma facing young homosexual men coming out in areas outside of London, where being gay is still a closeted existence for most, and social pressure to conform is high.

The location is Blackpool, and the protagonist this time is Craig (newcomer Steve Bell), a "bit of rough" who makes money in bare knuckle fist fights. Within his rough and tumble neighborhood, Craig is one of the guys, good for a fight, and just as good at swearing as the next hoodlum to be. But Craig knows he is different and he has no friends - the only person remotely close to him is his brother Tony (Christopher Hargreaves), a well meaning sort who is unable to understand his self-destructiveness. When Paula (Dani Behr) comes to town for a promotional gig, her roommate Matt (Ian Rose) becomes the target for Craig's disastrous first sexual encounter. Undaunted and intrigued, Craig soon shows up in London; Matt takes him in, drawn at first by his different background, then later falling in love with him. The pair, however, face massive obstacles. Paula, concerned that Matt's love for Craig will draw him away from engineering her burgeoning career, plots to keep them apart. Kelvin (Roger Daltrey), Matt's lecherous boss, also has his own reasons for breaking up the couple. Class differences, clashing priorities and the usual complications and misunderstandings between them soon divide Craig and Matt, and it is up to Tony to engineer a reconciliation.

Written by Robert Gray, the script is an interesting affair. Although the situations set up are trite and familiar, many of the lines sound like genuine representations of feelings and emotions - there is an honesty and depth in the nuanced characterizations on paper that brings the film one level above the usual independent fare. Although there are "villains" in the piece, they do not come across as plot devices but exist for purposes beyond evil scheming. The central relationship is nicely created under believable circumstances, and Gray adeptly engineers a happy ending audiences will root for. Furthermore, the script's handling of class stratification and the gay experience is an interesting and fresh perspective in recent cinema, and Gray expertly alludes to many bigger problems which people similar to his characters are likely to face in real life. What is less winning in the script is its heavy-handed depiction of the music industry - Gray brazenly implies that most singing sensations (particularly groups like Take That and Backstreet Boys) are no more than well packaged prostitutes; be that as it may, he trumpets this point a little too often, and it serves as a source of minor irritation to the viewer.

Another problem lies in director Paul Oremland, who uses an overly earnest approach to his material - the result is that the writing and direction often do not compliment each other. He often stages the scenes in contrasting black and white tones, so that the subtlety in the script is sometimes lost if one is not paying close attention. Although the film runs smoothly for the most part, there are moments when a little less haste would have helped the material. As it is, Oremland has directed the film in a workman-like manner, serviceable but unimpressive. He also has a terrible habit of sticking inappropriately tacky pieces of music onto the soundtrack whenever the couple are embracing, cheapening his own product.

Top-billed Roger Daltrey gets to play a showy role here. There is a palpable sense of glee in his performance, and he generally helps move the plot along without becoming too much of a distraction - this is a sign of a generous star performance. The real star of the film, however, is Steve Bell. Bell is the UK ABA Featherweight Boxing Champion making his motion picture debut, and he is quite astonishing. Appearing suitably gauche and awkward, he immediately endears himself to the audience in a very naturalistic performance which suggests a bright career before the camera. One never gets the impression that Bell is "acting" - a trap most first time performers fall into - and he creates a character that audiences will care for. Opposite him, Ian Rose fares moderately well as Matt. His performance is sharp and focused, but there is a certain air of preening on his part that is distracting. Behr and Hargreaves lend very able support; the latter, especially, gives a very touching portrait of a man trying to make things right for his sibling.

Overall, "Like It Is" has the necessary qualities that will make it a crowd-pleaser. The complex romance at the heart of its story is wonderfully realized by the actors with little help from the director, and although the film lacks the kind of popular mass appeal that result in cross-over hits ("Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss" this isn't), it will nonetheless play well to those who like thoughtful films showcasing good performances.

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