Do I Sound Gay? film review: David Thorpe overcomes his self-loathing and "internal homophobia"

(15) David Thorpe, 77 mins

Probing and profound questions: David Thorpe asks ‘Do I Sound Gay?’

New York-based journalist and film-maker David Thorpe's doc seems initially like a vanity project. He is a gay man who has just broken up from a partner. He is not feeling confident in himself and is becoming increasingly irritated with his own "braying, ninny-like" voice.

Early in the film he conducts vox pops, asking passers-by if he "sounds gay". He visits speech therapists for a "phonetic analysis" of the way he talks and interviews other prominent gay figures, among them former Star Trek actor George Takei and writer David Sedaris.

Gradually, the scope of the film widens and Thorpe begins to ask probing and profound questions about the way that voice forms identity. He delves back into his childhood, meeting old friends and family members who tell him that his voice used to sound completely different. He learns how to deepen and slow down his delivery so that his voice carries more authority. He deals with, and overcomes, his own self-loathing and "internal homophobia". The breezy and humorous tone doesn't disguise the fact that Thorpe's film is both intimate and quietly courageous.