Search - Dog Tags on DVD

"DOG TAGS": TOUCHING & MOVIING FILM IS HURT BY CONFUSING EDI

DEWEY MEE | ELLENSBURG, WA, | 01/22/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"From the title "Dog Tags," and the "come hither" photograph of sexy, alluring actor Paul Preiss above the words "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" on the DVD cover, you might initially think this film is a military variation on "Brokeback Mountain." It really is not. Dog tags are, of course, a military means of identification. The film tells the story of two guys, (Paul Preiss and the extremely sad eyed but strangely attractive Bart Fletcher) both dealing with indentity crisis; both struggling to find their place and purpose in the world.
Nate (Preiss) joins the Marines out of a sense of obligation to his mother (Candy Clark) and his fiancee (Amy Lindsay). She seems anxious for Nate to get her pregnant before he goes away to boot camp. Nate later discovers his fiancee is a deceitful tramp anxious to get pregnant by ANY man! He tells his mother, if he had known about her trampy ways, he wouldn't have signed up for the Marines. He also discoveres that his mother has lied to him for years about who his father is. By this time, Nate has met Andy, (Fletcher) who believes in the freedom of the open road, clean slates, and infinity. Nate considers going AWOL and running away with Andy.
Nate and Andy meet in the weirdest way. Their friendship begins when they escape from a Porno Producer named "Uncle Sam." Nate and Andy travel to meet Andy's mother Louise, a faded actress who is a marginally better mother than Nate's. Here, we learn that Andy has an infant son named Travis; the result of a drunken picnic with a girl he barely remembers, if at all. Andy doesn't want to be a dad, but he does feel a slight sense of responsibility. So Baby Travis joins Nate and Andy on their journey to find Nate's real dad... and themselves.
In a hotel room, Nate and Andy's relationship becomes briefly but intensely sexual. The next morning, Andy says, "there are no 'supposed tos'...What does Nate want to do?" Nate promptly joins Andy in the shower.
The editing makes the film difficult to follow.
At the end of the film, both Nate and Andy are on the road to responsibility; although obviously and sadly without each other. The DVD includes an Audio Commentary from writer/director Damion Dietz. Perhaps he explains here why he told the story the way he did, with such confusing editing. The movie is often very touching and moving, but the
viewer is left going back and forth; having to put too many pieces together.
"

Why?

R. Peterson | Kenosha, WI | 11/03/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This movie is "acceptable"... compared to some other gay movies out there it's almost Shakespearian (I'M TALKING ABOUT YOU "HELLBENT") but in no way "good"

Sometimes the cinematography was a bit hard to follow... I COULD understand what was happening (because I was gifted with an abnormally high amount of deductive reasoning skills) but there were odd moments that just... I have no idea what the hell the director was thinking. Most of the movie felt completely disjointed, as though on the way to the movie house some under paid intern had accidentally dropped the film into a wood chipper and then dug each piece out and painstakingly taped them back together.

Also, the story is a tad bit unbelievable. Why would a man with no homosexual inclinations jump into bed with another man and start making out (don't get your hopes up... one kiss and they cut to the next scene) it makes no form of logical sense. And why was there a baby? What the hell happened? What is going on?!? Why even bring in all of these ridiculous plot points if they will NEVER be explored?

*sigh* It's sad that this movie was so awful because the premise had the potential to be sooooo good. A lower class, disillusioned soldier has a chance meeting with an upper class, disillusioned rebel wherein they begin to explore the depths of their sexuality, emotions, lives, and the boundaries of their existence... but no."