Dog Tags [2008] [DVD]

Ok people. For all of you that gave this film a poor rating: This is not a happy, escapist film. It was not intended to be. There is not much action, but a lot of things happen. It is unsparingly realistic. Communication is through good acting, good camera work, and great writing. It is about two very confused young men who don't have a lot going for them. It gives the impression of being disorganized. This is because these two men are desperate to find out who they are, what they want, and somehow make something good out of their broken lives. They can't get a break anywhere, and a whole lot of what makes life hard is thrown on them. In spite of all this, while nothing is really resolved, you feel at the end that things just might somehow work out. Maybe it is possible to put aside the past and make a new beginning. And all this on an independent film budget.This film is deeper than is seems at first, and it is definitely worth a second look.

First of all, DVD arrived safe and sound, no problems. The film itself follows a young man in a troubled marriage who decides to join the military along the way he meets a person who on the face of it, is the exact opposite, they form a close friendship before the young man returns to training. Any more would give too much away

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.

I have mixed feelings but still thought it was pretty good overall. I really didn't like the acting all that much, it was okay but let's say it wasn't award winning. It is also obvious that whoever filmed this has no idea what a tri-pod is for. There was so much camera shaking from someone actually holding the camera that it was nerve wrecking. I thought the story and plot were excellent, it is really why I gave it four stars. I would like to see this remade one day in a big production with a couple writing changes. For example, I don't think any mother anywhere ever told her son that being a car mechanic was a bad job, I mean, come on, mechanics make great money, especially the real good ones. Again though the actually story and paths the characters went down was great and a bit original.

I knew I saw this years ago and liked it, but I didn't remember the details so I watched it again. I loved it. A very moving story about people trying to make the most out of what life gives them. The confusion and hard times make us stronger. Things don't always go according to plans and there are some bumps in the road. However, life also has some unexpected experience with people you meet that help you to grow. The acting was excellent with every character. The story is believable, original and somewhat inspiration.

The story is excellent. It explores serious situations and their personal ramifications. The acting by the main characters is also excellent. They were up to the task laying everything out. And the music is evocative of feelings inside the viewer, allowing him or her to identify readily with the main characters.

truely a cool movie i liked how the whole thing came together at the end!!!! once again with ur answer is ot long enough

This movie is horrible I regret that I bought it. Nate the main character I am not going to go into a long drawn out review this movie doesn't deserve it. Back to Nate the movie starts with him having sex with a pardon my french an old used up looking ho talking about she wants him to get her pregnant. Then he goes into the military, I am not going to go on just to say then all of a sudden he goes to meet his father(all dress up in military uniform) who ends up not to be his father you find out it is the old man that lives in the guesthouse. On the way to this sad adventure he meets a gothic guy(wears black clothing and dark eye makeup I am not going to say his name he is a horrible actor lol better than Nate though)they have a weird type of connection and what we are made to believe they have sex (which you can't be sure of because another guy that the gothic guy has been daydreaming about the whole movie appears)then they take a shower together and Nate goes back to the military. That is how wack this movie is I should have not even mentioned the lead character's name he and this wack film aren't worth it I threw my copy in the trash thank God I bought it used for $6.99!!!!!!

One of my favorate gay stories

As a rule of thumb the quality of a film is in inverse proportion to the amount of clothes the actors are wearing on the DVD cover jacket. I presume the marketing department decide that the hope of seeing hot men in the buff will entice an unwary buyer into purchasing the DVD for the actor if nothing else. I bought this cheaply so had nothing to lose. My first remark is to the person who chose to put a photo of the main actor without clothes on the cover – you did a great disservice to the film. There is very little nudity or torso shots in the film at all so that will come as a disappointment to any viewers hoping for gratuitous nakedness.The predominant theme running through the film is the nature of Fatherhood. Both characters have father issues. The main protagonist Nate because he doesn’t know who his father is and his mother won’t tell him. He believes he found out who he is and surprised to find out he is a successful businessman. The first half of the film is a build up to that meeting. I’ll say no more as it will spoil it.The other young man he meets [ Andy] lost his father when he was 14 and still lives with his agoraphobic actress mother who dominates him and has built her world around him – crushing him underneath her wings. He also has a baby boy whom he had with a quick tryst at a party. He can just about manage himself let alone the young child. He had a short but intense relationship with a marine some time in the past and he felt safe and secure in that relationship despite its brevity. The marine left one day (possibly for war) and was never heard of again. The memory of the man still haunts him. He reminds me of Quentin Crisp’s ‘Big Dark Man’ and we get some flashbacks of him but because our hero can barely remember what he looked like now we never see his face full on. One reviewer remarked that the body double in the one love scene was quite obvious. The reason of course was that it was not a body double but the inclusion of this invisible man into the lovemaking. Andy sees in Nate, who is on leave from boot camp, a substitute for his big dark marine and a happy brief time in his life. Nate sees a lost soul in Andy who has very little practical skills and even less understanding of how the world works.Nate’s mother is wonderfully portrayed and it is only towards the end of the film that we learn why she tried to keep the knowledge of who Nate’s father is a secret. She tries to set him up with a waitress from the bar where she works but that went nowhere. Nate seems bossed about by her and she sees him as a meal ticket if she can only get pregnant by him – some attempts at this performance seem rather lack lustre by Nate who seems to see himself as nothing more than an insemination service. She is not all she seems either especially as we learn she has a cocktail named after her in the bar.The film is an exploration of finding the father figure who, they believe, will be the answer to all their prayers. This may not be so. Some have criticised the quickness with which Nate and Andy form such an intense relationship. However it is not the length of time that someone is in a relationship which determines its value or effectiveness but the growth that comes from it. The soul records only growth not time and by the end of the film you see that the seed of growth is planted and taking root.It’s a quite unexpected little gem of a film and it is moving the gay experience out from a niche into the mainstream as all gay men have fathers and all need to love and to be loved by them. This is not unique to only straight men.

Un croisement existentiel de deux destinées pour un temps seulement. Peu de moyens. Deux acteurs superbes. Une histoire et un traitement efficace qui nous touche.

Weird film. bit messed up

Its a short gay romance. The acting is par, as others in this type.It left yah hoping that they would get together for the long term.