While it’s hard to figure out if the characters are hideously over-acted deliberately or not, there are some outrageously slapstick moments (such as Adam’s encounters with beer bottle tossing jerk from Jersey whenever he displays affection in public). Without a doubt the most original character is Adam’s best friend, Rhonda – "as fat as the side of a house" when we first meet her in the 80s, and now a stand up comic who has lost the weight but has yet to update her self-depreciating ‘fat’ routine. It has been described as a gay When Harry Met Sally, and while it’s true that the plot could’ve easily been adapted for a straight couple, it wasn’t – and it’s so refreshing to see a gay movie that celebrates our culture through laughter rather than sorrow.

Hmm… what could this one be about? The clue is definitely in the title, and this documentary does a thorough job of exploring gay sex in the 70s – the cusp of gay liberation. The focus is on New York City, and on grainy celluloid with porn-esque music, several men reiterate stories from that time, mapping out famous cruising spots like the abandoned piers (complete with holes that caused more than one cruiser to fall straight into the Hudson River), the trucks (darkened trucks parked in loading bays filled with hundreds of men) and the ramble in Central Park.

The stories are told in a frank and non-judgemental manner, with no dissenting voice to cause conflict. As such, the descriptions of open and promiscuous sex are alarming to hear at first with our contemporary awareness of the risks of unprotected sex – but as the stories move on to gay liberation movements such as Stonewall, it becomes apparent it was not only about getting action, it was a way of asserting – even celebrating – the new-found acceptance of their sexuality. The story continues to outrageous clubs like Studio 54 and The Saint and gay locations like Fire Island before reaching the AIDS crisis at the end of the decade, and you begin to realise that this collection of stories is not just about gay sex in the 70s – it is a testament to being gay in the 70s, as sex was all we had. And these pioneers paved the way for our lifestyle today.

Here’s a news flash – the gay community is unhealthily obsessed with body image. For example, in our very own publication last week, we featured ten perfect bodies in our editorial, scene pics and adverts. It’s a point that’s also driven home in the opening sequence of Do I Look Fat, as billboard advertising featuring perfect pecs and abs is flashed before us.

So, now that that’s firmly established, where does the documentary take us? As our eight interviewees (who have all encountered some form of eating disorder – or ‘self esteem disorder’, as one puts it) tell their stories to the camera, sans any form of narration, they move from topics such as how their early childhood lay the groundwork for an eating disorder, to how homosexuality coupled with weight problems made them feel emasculated. While it is refreshing to hear the women’s magazine staple topic for gay audience, it is more of a forum for the eight people affected by eating disorders to tell their story, rather than delve into the issue with clinical conclusions, surveys or statistics (although we are poignantly told at one point that over 40% of men who suffer from eating disorders are gay).

This, however, allows the interviewees’ emotional stories to hold the focus. There are sure to be many movie goers personally moved by the tales of gay men who, after finally gaining a sense of belonging in the gay community after coming out, find themselves rejected due to body image issues.