Drifting Elegant (2006)

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Race, class and honesty become issues for a handful of disparate characters in this independent drama. Nate (Josh Stamberg) and Jen (Jennifer Mudge) are a pair of recently married thirty-somethings living in San Francisco; Nate is a journalist, while Jen's inherited wealth frees her from having to work a steady job. Jen wants to do something positive with her money, and her longtime friend Renny (Coby Bell) asks her to invest in a housing project he wants to develop – a secure gated community for middle-class African-Americans. Meanwhile, Nate has been visiting Elizabeth (Lenore Thomas), a fellow reporter who was assigned to Nairobi at the same time as Nate; he became deeply infatuated with her while they worked together, and now she's seriously ill and has only a short time to live. Elizabeth tells Nate that Victor (Donnie Keshawarz), a mutual friend, once sexually assaulted her, and Nate toys with the idea of getting revenge by writing a news story about him. Unknown to Nate, Victor, who is now homeless, has appeared at his door, and Jen, against her better judgment, has told Victor he can stay with them for a few days. Nate's anger towards Victor and resentment of Renny comes to a head that evening, though he learns not everything he's been told so far is actually true. Drifting Elegant was the first feature film for director Amy Glazer; the film was adapted from the play by Stephen Belber, which Glazer directed for San Francisco's Magic Theater Company. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi