Dorian Blues (2005)

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

.Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

This film doesn't even deserve one star.The writing is horrendous, the plot is directionless and the story has been done and done much much better. Visually it's hideous.Basically it's the old case of "the original stuff wasn't good and the good stuff wasn't original" except there really wasn't anything good at all about this film.The character of Dorian must be one of the most painful protagonists ever. He's not endearingly weird or even dorkily cute, he's just hopeless and the brother isn't much better, he just has better social skills. There's no character arc at all. You just hope Dorian dies alone and his brother has a drug overdose. Maybe he did actually, I don't even remember.It's not comedy-drama because it's not funny and it's not a drama because it's laughable. Tragic tragic tragic and completely cringeworthy.

OK. It's a small indy film with small indy production values. However, it is cleverly written and quite funny. I laughed through most of it. I will admit that the story line mirrors my own adolescence (20 years earlier than the time in the movie). So, I am prejudiced. Michael McMillian, brilliantly playing the intelligent gay boy who confronts the straight patriarchy with searing wit and flat affect, is simply spot on. His delivery is flawless. Steve Fletcher does a great job as the overbearing father who dotes on the jock of the family and tries to run down Dorian. The dynamic between these two characters is very well done. The characters are fairly well developed. The mother is a bit dimensionless, but maybe that was accurate too. Frankly, in its league of smaller gay films, this one really stands out.

Writer/director/producer Tennyson Bardwell is definitely a talent to watch. In his first venture into film, DORIAN BLUES, he has created an intelligent script with razor sharp dialogue, witty and acerbic and touching depending on the moment, and has cast his film with a fine groups of actors who obviously hold him in great respect, as the final product is a polished film that is always entertaining as well as informative. Few 'coming out' films flesh out the territory as succinctly and realistically as this.Dorian Lagatos (a fresh and talented Michael McMillian) is sour on the world that doesn't understand him. His family is the microscope on his world: a right wing radical father Tom (Charles Fletcher), a seemingly ditsy but subservient mother Maria (Mo Quigley), and a brother Nicky (another bright and hunky talent Lea Coco) who is everything Dorian isn't - a jock, a ladies' man, and a happy-go-lucky high schooler. Dorian has an 'epiphany': he discovers the reason he doesn't fit in is that he is gay! With his discovery he finds some solace from another edgy gay friend Spooky (Austin Basis) but still feels he must remain in the closet. Finally he confides in Nicky who surprisingly listens to him and accepts him - just so long as Dorian doesn't act out. Frustrated, Dorian leaves for New York for college while Nicky wins a sports scholarship to another college. In New York Dorian finds the gay life, feels 'normal' at last, falls in love, confronts rejection and the games people play, and then lives a despondent life until Nicky visits him: Nicky has lost his scholarship. The two brothers make the rounds of Dorian's milieu until they receive a phone call that their father has died. Returning home Dorian must still face his anger at his father, though dead, and it is this anger that his mother (far more sensitive than Dorian ever knew) confronts Dorian and the message of the movie is completed in a very realistic and understanding way. Life's philosophy is not wholly bound to one's sexual preferences.Michael McMillian and Lea Coco both give notice of being young gifted actors to watch. And the apparently 'film inexperienced' Charles Fletcher and Mo Quigley deliver radiant cameo roles. Indeed the entire supporting cast is excellent, perhaps due to the fact the Bardwell is a fine director! This is a gay coming out film that is intelligent, free of the usual visuals that distract the general audience, and one that has more healthy bits of psychology scattered throughout than many a feature film.Highly recommended. Grady Harp

This was a perfect film to watch after a light meal and before going home to watch TV. Light, satisfying, attractive male actors, and funny. A few of the players stood out, especially Michael McMillian, who played Dorian. He has a great way of delivering a killer line--reminds me of young Matthew Broderick or Topher Grace. A winning personality, but great neurotic schtick. The younger brother (who is a straight jock) is hot to look at, but a lesser actor. Some of the others in the film were good enough, but are obviously local actors (upstate NY is where the film was shot, and where it takes place).Cod Nickell, who plays Ben, is especially likable as Dorian's first boyfriend. If any of the other actors deserve to break out of Albany, it would be him.The movie is slyly comical, with a lot of big laughs. The director aims for big slapstick in Dorian's pickup in an S&M bar, but it was so ludicrous that it took away from the offbeat, but realistic tone of the rest of the movie. It was pure cartoon.There is nothing explicit (almost nothing implicit) in this movie, so it's safe for the whole family. I saw a lot of females in the theater, and they seemed to enjoy it as much as the men.