
AKA
2002, Drama, 2h 4m
31 Reviews 500+ RatingsYou might also like

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AKA Photos
Movie Info
Dean (Matthew Leitch), a lower-class British teen, is kicked out of his family home. Desperate to make a new start in high society, he secures work with the very upper-crust Lady Gryffoyn (Diana Quick). But Dean is soon back on the street, relocating to Paris under the identity of Gryffoyn's son. He finds friendship with hustler Benjamin (Peter Youngblood Hills) and his lover, David (George Asprey). But, with all the deception and romantic confusion, Dean's new life proves to be a struggle.
Cast & Crew
Matthew Leitch
Dean Page
Dean Page
George Asprey
David
David
Lindsey Coulson
Georgie
Georgie
Diana Quick
Lady Tryffoyn
Lady Tryffoyn
Peter Youngblood Hills
Benjamin
Benjamin
Sean Gilder
Tim Lyttleton
Tim Lyttleton
Critic Reviews for AKA
Audience Reviews for AKA
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Apr 20, 2007Dean, an attractive, 18-year old man living in working-class Thatcher-era Britain, longs to go to college and 'make something' of himself. Trapped in a household with an abusive step-father and a mother who is either unaware or in denial about the situation, events lead to him becoming looked after by a wealthy art-gallery owner - a Lady Gryffoyn no less - and eventually to him assuming the identity of her 18-year old son, Alexander Gryffoyn. He soon gains entrance to the circles of the privileged and becomes well liked when he moves to Paris, eventually becoming entangled in the attentions of a rich bachelor, David, and Benjamin, an American with secrets of his own. <p>Comparisons with <i>The Talented Mr. Ripley</i> are inevitable and favorable, although <i>aka</i> is much less of a conventional thriller and there's a greater emphasis on sexuality and much richer insight into the protagonist's motivations and psychology. An acquired taste thanks to an extremely low budget (which translates to a gaudy visual style and home-video quality footage), this nevertheless captures its late 70s setting perfectly and is aided by some fantastic performances. Matthew Leitch, Peter Youngblood Hills and Lindsey Coulson as Dean, Benjamin and Dean's mother respectively all give committed and truthful performances. Elsewhere some of the acting borders on caricature, and the music becomes overly invasive on more than one occasion. The section where a scene is split into three frames is also difficult to follow and is a technique that doesn't work (there's an alternate version of the film available on UK DVD which is apparently shown in this three frame format for the duration and is by all accounts unwatchable). <p>A complex, almost voyeuristic film, based on a true story, <i>aka</i> is definitely worth a watch.Daniel P Super Reviewer
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