The four letter word is "love", appropriated from a Bob Dylan song. Not an auspicious title, if you're looking for originality. It's about 6 people in NYC who are adrift. Flamboyant party boy Luke (Jesse Archer) enters a gay bar with his friends and meets his match in hot macho Stephen (Charlie David). Luke considers a stable and loving monogamous relationship with him. However, Luke's dream seems impossible when he catches Stephen in several lies, including how he earns his comfortable living and fancy apartment. Awakening in a twisted heap of naked strangers, Luke heads to work at a Chelsea sex store where he must face his co-worker Zeke (Cory W. Grant), a confrontational gay crusader who wants to change the world. Zeke takes gay liberation seriously, whereas Luke likes to party and takes nothing seriously. He's offended when Stephen calls him a gay cliché, then surprisingly they find each other attractive and interesting. Stephen has a great apartment, a trust fund, and artwork he's painted on his walls.
Up the street, actor and waiter Peter (Steven M. Goldsmith) is moving in with his long time boyfriend Derek (J.R. Rolley). Peter is a neat-freak, and Derek is nice to everyone, but Peter's compulsiveness threatens the relationship. His restaurant boss Marilyn (Virginia Bryan) is maniacally planning her wedding, but when her AA sponsor Trisha (Allison Lane) declares her attraction, Marilyn's sobriety and marriage are in jeopardy. Marilyn can't stop obsessing about wedding details. Smitten with Stephen, Luke considers giving monogamy a chance. He attends a sexual compulsives meeting where he discovers he is not the only nympho in New York. Luke is falling for Stephen, but it soon turns out that Stephen's cash doesn't flow from a trust fund--he works hard for his money as a hustler. A relationship between a playboy and a prostitute depends on whether that is the only secret Stephen is keeping. Among party boys, monogamists, addicts, and activists, Luke's search may unearth answers he cannot handle. Ultimately, the protagonists realize that being true to yourself is the best way to deal with the many complications of a four letter word called love.
This is essentially a sequel to director Casper Andreas' 2004 comedy "Slutty Summer", which included the characters Luke and Marilyn, as well as also taking place in the Chelsea area of Manhattan. There's an underlying lesson about self-acceptance and following your dreams, but the film suffers from poorly-directed overlapping stories and cheesy dialogue, as well as a gratuitous "nude male yoga" scene that has nothing to do with the story. It's a funny, honest, provocative, and endearing romantic comedy filled with one-liners and lots of eye candy. The acting is good, but this film is not a deep analytical view of gay men and sex in the new millennium, but a fun romp with interesting characters. If you want to be entertained, this movie will certainly fill the bill. Scott Starrett composed the original music, and the screenplay was written by Jesse Archer and Casper Andreas, who also directed. Bob Dylan should sue the producers of this film for ripping off his song title, but he's not that kind of person.
