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ACTOR
Paul PreissAmy LindsayCandy ClarkHoyt Richards
DIRECTOR
Damion Dietz
SYNOPSICS
Dog Tags (2008) is a English movie. Damion Dietz has directed this movie. Paul Preiss,Amy Lindsay,Candy Clark,Hoyt Richards are the starring of this movie. It was released in 2008. Dog Tags (2008) is considered one of the best Drama,Romance movie in India and around the world.
Abandoned by his father and raised by a single mother, Nate Merritt joins the Marines to support his soon-to-be fiancée. While on leave in Palm Springs, Nate meets a seemingly free spirited young gay man, who leads him on a path of discovery--and to the surprising identity of the father he never knew.
Dog Tags (2008) Trailers
Dog Tags (2008) Reviews
Earnest drama of the search for an absent father
This is a well-meaning, earnest, low-budget film about a man and a boy, both fatherless, both seeking the love from and approval of a father/older brother image. One is straight, one is gay. They are thrown together, share stories, dreams, and influence each others' lives. It's not really a gay romance, so let's get that out of the way first. There is only one scene between the two men in bed and it is so laden with flashbacks of a former love, that it is unclear whether the two share just a kiss and a hug - or more. The director keeps the physical intimacy of the relationship a puzzle for the audience. Nate (Paul Preiss) is a fatherless young man, living with his mother and girlfriend in an impoverished rural area. He is about to enlist in the marines to find some purpose in his life. On a visit back from boot camp he encounters Andy (Bart Fletcher), a young man who wears eye makeup and seems as aimless as Nate. They both need ready money: Nate to put a down payment on an engagement ring; Andy to finance a trip across country to escape his life. They are hired to do a porn shoot, but once aware of the circumstances, leave. On the road, they bond. Andy suffers from the grief of a dead lover, also a marine. He doesn't tell Nate his sexual orientation, nor does Nate ask. To further complicate things, Andy has fathered a child in a moment of party drunkenness. Andy is the real catalyst in Nate's life, urging him to do what HE wants to do, not what he has been told he should do. He helps him find who he believes is his father, instilling the confidence to do so, and later in an ambiguous shower scene, he encourages Nate to decide if he wants to join him without regard to what he's been taught, but in response to what he really wants. There are three surprises in the last half hour, one after another, but none of them seem forced or out of character with the script and the relationships. The bonding seems very real and appropriate and the script beautifully shows the emptiness in both men's lives because of the loss of a father figure. Preiss and Fletcher are both fine young actors and give exemplary, totally believable performances. Fletcher bears an uncanny resemblance to the young Jared Leto. Candy Clark as Nate's mother does well also. There are a number of inconsistencies. How does Nate think he can go AWOL without being caught? How does he find his "father's" office, through a warren of floors and office and without a name on the door when he finally does find it? What happens to the uniform he ditches - doesn't that belong to the US Marines, not him? But these don't impinge terribly on the script. It's a very low key, intimate drama and quite poignant. I had wished the physical intimacy had been better established and not just hinted at - and I don't mean I wanted or needed to see sex, because neither was seeking that- they were seeking love in physical expression. Had the director given us some BROKEBACK scenes, it would be all we would have needed to have truly understood how both felt about each other. All in all, it's a nice film. I'm glad I saw it. I'm glad they made it. Preiss and Fletcher are both finds. They have the talent and the charisma to go far.
A Search for Meaning and Friendship In A Crazy World
Because of the DVD cover picture and some reviews I had read, there was an expectation that this little indie would be just another Gay Consciousness Raising Film, that is, another predictable tale where boy meets boy and both fight and then realize they have good sex together and will love each other for eternity no matter what happens. I'm glad to say I was wrong; this film offers a more complex view of human behavior, dealing with individuals who learn about one another by listening, by caring, by questioning, and ultimately, by growing in positive ways from their being tossed together purely by chance. I would recommend sticking with this film past the first ten or fifteen minutes, and you may get wrapped up in director Damion Dietz's exploration of friendship, family, and a search for some kind of meaning in a haphazard world. Its a film with heart about people who need a helping hand and as such does it's job very well.
A very well acted movie!
It is hard to find this genre and have it acted well. I found DOG TAGS to be one of the best I have seen in recent years. The story is moving and believable. The characters are well drawn. Brad Fletcher is fantastic as Andy the carefree gay guy. On the surface, he is free-wheeling, but underneath he is vulnerable. Paul Preiss is amazing as Nate the marine recruit who is trying to find himself and his long absent father. He is strong and sensitive. After Nate and Andy meet in a less than ideal setting and a bad experience happens for Nate, the two form a bond. In the end, they are left with hope for better lives. I think it is wonderful that we are getting some better gay genre movies of late. SHELTER, LONG TERM RELATIONSHIP, BACK SOON and OUTING RILEY to name a few. I am glad to add DOG TAGS to my recommendation list. See it, I don't think DOG TAGS will disappoint.
Where will it lead when these two meet?
Written and directed by Damion Dietz, Dog Tags opens with "Nate" (Paul Preiss) getting ready to head off to the army. We see that he is close to his mom, but not really so close to his girlfriend Trish. At the same time, we meet "Andy" (Bart Fletcher), serious and sad, who isn't sure what he wants to do, and doesn't fit in with his peers. Then we go to flashback, and see how Nate and Andy meet up, and THAT is an interesting story. We learn things about BOTH of them that they themselves hadn't known before. They have both come from extremely dysfunctional home-situations, with major gaps in their family histories. We "flash forward" here and there, and sometimes it takes a minute to figure out what's going on, but overall a good script and good story. Some nudity and sexual situations - definitely not for the kiddies. The only drawback I found was that there are no-subtitles for the hearing impaired. I see there is a director's commentary track, so that might be fun to hear. Impressive first starring role acc to IMDb (is that right??) for Paul Preiss. Fun and tastefully done.
Remarkable & Touching
This film is a complete surprise. It starts out so slowly but before you know what is happening it keeps building and building until you are totally caught up in the unfolding drama which is quite remarkable in the way it is done. The cast is absolutely perfect, especially the two mothers who galvanize the story to such a degree that it is amazing. Yet there is the "missing" father in the background who in one scene utterly wraps you up in the situation that no one would want to be in yet the male lead finds himself in. The male lead, Paul Preiss, apparently has quit acting and according to his web site he is now directing commercials and short films. I can certainly understand why he would give up acting, after all, it's a no win situation unless you hit it big, yet it's too bad because he really is a natural. But the other male lead is also wonderful and the two of them together are electric. This film really is very touching.