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Dorian Blues
by Tla
| List Price: |
$19.99 |
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$17.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. |
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$2.00 (10%) |
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DVD
TLA RELEASING
Publisher: Tla
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Actors: Michael McMillian, Lea Coco, Steve Fletcher, Mo Quigley, John Abele
Witty, knowing and immensely entertaining, Dorian Blues is a delightfully off-kilter coming-of-age tale from debut writer-director Tennyson Bardwell. Adolescence is proving a pain for Dorian (Michael McMillian). He s an outcast and the butt ofmates jokes at high school, and his football hero brother (Lea Coco) is constantly rescuing him. But everything finally begins to make sense when he realizes
Witty, knowing and immensely entertaining, Dorian Blues is a delightfully off-kilter coming-of-age tale from debut writer-director Tennyson Bardwell. Adolescence is proving a pain for Dorian (Michael McMillian). Hes an outcast and the butt of classmates jokes at high school, and his football hero brother (Lea Coco) is constantly rescuing him. But everything finally begins to make sense when he realizes that hes gay. Before his archconservative dad (Steven C. Fletcher, in a hilarious role) can throw him out of the house, hes off to NYU where he encounters a new world of cafes, sophisticates and handsome men but this life proves just as frustrating as his world back home.
Like That 70's Show and Napolean Dynamite, director Tennyson Bardwell's debut feature, Dorian Blues, stylishly contemplates the hellishness of high school in the '70s, but through a gay protagonist. Dorian Lagatos (played by Michael McMillan) is raised by Nixon-loving conservatives, and his manly brother is star of the football team, so it's difficult for him to admit, even to himself, that he is gay. Coming-out scenes construct a picture that is wrought by fear made into dry comedy. Dorian cries to himself in the middle of the night, gets beat up in the school halls, falls in love with his male therapist, talks to a dummy in order to practice breaking the news to his father, and tries to learn how to fight his brother when he finds out that Dorian is a "sissy." When Dorian leaves for New York, he meets his first boyfriend, and befriends a vivacious lesbian named El. Scenes in S&M clubs, coffee bars, and New York lofts show Dorian slowly coming to terms with his true identity. The film's opening and closing shots take place at the cemetery during Dorian's father's funeral, accentuating not only the hatred Dorian feels for this stubborn man, but also the anger and fear Dorian harbors for himself. Ultimately, he must obliterate this order to find real happiness. Dorian Blues is a study in self-confidence, made funny by familiar scenes that teenagers struggling to fit in will know all too well.--Trinie Dalton
| Customer Reviews: |
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| Funny, sharp, and oh-so-knowing |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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I was pleasantly surprised that I liked this film as much as I did. When something is touted as a sort of "gay Napoleon Dynamite", I thought: "Uh-oh...a disaster!" But it's actually sharp & funny, thanks to a good script, good directing & good performances (Matthew McMillian is a real find, perfect as the sexually conflicted oddball Dorian; and Steven Fletcher is dead-on as Dorian's political-minded, opinionated & intimidating father). I liked the way the relationship between the two brothers was portrayed (as two worlds colliding, struggling to understand, but still "bros"). And of course, "Dorian Blues" does have that weird bent for profoundly funny moments (Dorian getting seduced by a nerd; fighting his jock brother to prove he's not a "sissy"; contending with school bullies; getting into a dangerous situation with a psychotic trick; and dippy therapy sessions). I remember my teen years, and like Dorian, there were some achingly awkward moments I wished I could erase from existence!
DB is original enough to be engaging, empathic enough to be insightful, and delightfully off-center enough to be funny throughout.
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| A little disappointing but not a bad flick |
| Customer Rating: 3 out of 5 |
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Dorian Blues is a coming out story which will probably resonate with a number of gay males who struggled in coming out. I thought this would be more humorous than it was. The cover likens it to Napoleon Dynamite, which in my opinion, it was nothing like (minus an entertaining goofy dance scene which was more embarassing than anything). The acting was good and by "gay movie" standards this one was pretty decent. Its a renter though, it was just okay
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| Decent Way to Spend an Hour and Thirty Minutes |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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This is probably a three star movie, but it touched me, so I added a star. Not a great movie by any means, this is a small, honest film. This is a believable coming of age story. A nice way to spend an hour and a half.
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| a decent gay coming-of-age film |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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*Dorian Blues* is a decent coming-of-age of a young gay man that is enjoyable to watch. For a low-budget film, this one does the job pretty good.
The movie starts off with Dorian as a high schooler. He soon realizes that he's gay when he challenges his debating father during one of their traditional, monotonous family dinners.
Of course, Dorian needs to talk to someone about his sexuality. He tries with his penny-rolling mother but she's just in her own world. He lucks out when he's referred to a gay counselor. In addition, the only other person in his family who knows, supports and protects him is his younger, beefy brother.
Eventually, Dorian works up the courage to come out to his father, which doesn't turn out well. Evicted, Dorian starts his new life in New York. Meanwhile, his younger brother is left behind and eventually goes to college.
Life seems ordinary for Dorian, being his own self. However, what Dorian doesn't realize is that he has grown up to be just as bitter as his father, whom he despises yet loves.
Everyone in the film has done a good job. My favorite were the brothers' interactions. I thought it was an interesting twist of the younger brother protecting the older brother, especially during high school.
Overall, good movie filled with comedy, romance and of course, drama.
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| Fresh actors make this Typical coming-out film come alive |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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There is nothing new and novel about DORIAN BLUES that hasn't been done countless times before both dramatically (DOING TIME ON MAPLE AVENUE) and comedically (THE WONDER YEARS) in coming out or coming of age films.The usual teen angst,anxiety,one dominant parent,one submissive parent,anger,rage and awkwardness is all there.This time, though, there are some pretty effective actors to make this not just another teen gay or straight movie.Michael Mc Millian and Lea Coco,both graduates of the Carnegie Mellon Institute of Drama,team up to play the awkward Dorian and his jock-brother who both live in a household ruled by a Mussolini-type father know-it-all (a brilliant and explosive Steven Fletcher) and a "penny rolling,enabling doormat of a mother (Mo Quigley, a Mink Stole lookalike!)
Where this film shines is in the ensemble acting of these principles.Each actor has a good idea of their character and do excellent jobs in their respective roles.This film is at it's weakest with a script of very funny and clever scenes that jump rather quickly giving us snapshots into lives instead of gradual growth of each character.High points are hit, but unfortunately each character remains underdeveloped and caricatures.Writer/director Tennyson Bardwell known for his television sitcom work has given a similar treatment here,but extending the sitcom to a mid-length feature.Still,all in all, this is a delightful and winning piece of work for what it is, and we learn never to say "Fabulous." Though Dorian's "coming out" is the central focal point, a look at family dysfunction is well treated here with which anyone could identify.It is the likeability factor that allows me to rate this film 4 ****'s.The film is totally pleasant and enjoyably humorous.
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