How wonderful it is to see this fine actress carry a film and carry it so beautifully.

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Dave (Jay Harrington) and Katherine (Julie Bowen) are rivals for the one partner opening at a successful law firm. Dave is smart and scrupulous while Katherine is as despicable and conniving as they make them. One day, Dave is specifically asked to handle a discrimination case and he jumps at the chance. With such a high profile, the case will surely enhance his chances to make partner. He is beaming until he learns why he was selected! It seems the client believes him to be gay and, thus, best suited to handle the suit in question, a gay, work-related discrimination case. But, Dave is straight, having eyes only for women. Yet, if he refuses the assignment, Katherine is certain to take over. Therefore, Dave decides to play the role of a gay man. Things get complicated when a beautiful woman named Lucy (Brooke Langton), the defendant's daughter, garners Dave's affections. Can Dave win the case quickly, so he can declare his love for Lucy? This is a funny and romantic film but its gay themes make it a touchy one for some viewers. How does one "act gay" without playing a stereotype, for starters. And, is the resulting depiction something to be laughed over, at all? Everyone loves a case of mistaken identity, its true, but this plot seems guaranteed to offend the audience at some point. On the other hand, Harrington is really quite wonderful as the sensitive lawyer and Bowen has her she-devil role down pat. Langton and the other cast members give nice performances, too. Then, too, the costumes are very fine, as are the settings and production values. If you adore funny tales of love, you should probably take a chance with this one, as Hollywood can not seem to churn them out fast enough for the true romcom fan. But, if you are looking for a movie that will suit a wider audience, you might want to try While You Were Sleeping or Return to Me instead.

The problem I had with this movie is that it's essentially a sitcom premise stretched out to 90 minutes, although fortunately, that spares us the set up/punch line every few minutes route and the laugh track. The story is also predictable and has been done before, at least several times in the last 10-15 years, usually guy pretends to be gay to get the girl, not for career advancement, but I assume this is a rip off, at least conceptually, from the 2001 French film, Le Placard, (aka The Closet).That's another problem with this film: there are some good concepts but they aren't well developed. They discuss how to make the Dave character pass for gay and its nice to see they don't make any effort to change his behavior (i.e. Victor/Victoria's "more shoulder, remember you're a drag queen" or similar from Mrs. Doubtfire) but since they don't develop his character very much, you don't understand why he's into Bette Davis movies and it seems strange he would have a good friend who's gay and would move in with him, but not have any clue about some basics such as what a top or bottom is.The performances were adequate to fine, with some excellent work by a few people. Reichen Lehmkuhl really needs to get a new agent who will get him some bit work where he can keep his shirt on. I also agree that the "gay guys" don't do a good job. Micheal Ian Blank's gay friends at "brunch" (Sean McGowan and Bru Miller) in particular, shouldn't have been mouthing some of their lines based on what they wore and looked like. I kept thinking that the sub-plot with the two make co-workers (roommates themselves) of Dave's would be resolved with one or both of them turning out to be gay, which may have more sense, otherwise I would agree that the time spent on them was excessive after a point.Some good ideas and the execution was technically fine, but it feels unfinished, unpolished and like a first draft, not a feature film.

Just watched this again, I liked it even better this time. I am a lawyer and that subplot was portrayed correctly, but this was really just a standard romantic comedy, although funnier than most. The acting was excellent, including the supporting characters. I don't think this was ever released in theaters but I see it was on TV, it looks a lot more professionally made than many other independent films I have seen and in some places is quite beautiful. There are some really funny moments that are unrelated to the love story, and there are some tender moments that were well-written and well-acted. The movie seems a bit short at 90 minutes, but I prefer that to a movie that is padded or has a lot of boring exposition.

'Partner(s)' turns out to be a far better little film than expected. Not that there is anything original about this oft told variation of posing to be something you're not in order to take advantage of career development only to have that posing backfire. But Dave Diamond's script and direction and the presence of an attractive, bubbly and capable cast make this little piece of fluff float.Tables are turned in a competitive law firm where an important case is to be assigned, a case involving sex discrimination over a gay employee. Dave (Jay Harrington) and Katherine (Julie Bowen), lovers in the past, vie for the assignment that will most assuredly result in being granted full partner ship in the firm. The company involved happens to include a cute young lass Lucy (Brooke Langton) who lives in the same apartment with Dave (Dave happens to room with a gay guy Christopher - Michael Ian Black - but Dave is straight). Lucy eyes Dave but mistakenly thinks Dave is gay, a fact that she feels will help her father's company in the lawsuit if they are represented by a gay lawyer (politics, you know...). Dave goes along with the charade, tells his company he is gay, wins the assignment leaving Katherine jealous, knowing that Dave is NOT gay. The remainder of the story revolves around the cat and mouse game between Dave and Katherine and Dave and Lucy's mutual attraction that interferes with his job. There are many funny side characters who constantly comment on what the gay mind is like. But the story ends well, with the film being a vaguely funny if very superficial view of what being gay is all about.Not a great film but certainly an entertaining one. Sort of an extended au courant soap opera, it works fairly well on the big screen, largely due to the sustained light touch with which it is delivered. Grady Harp, December 05