★ 5 / 10
This is certainly a story worth telling
CinemaSerf
This is certainly a story worth telling - the disgraceful and discriminatory treatment of highly trained, professional and committed people in the military (in…
This is certainly a story worth telling - the disgraceful and discriminatory treatment of highly trained, professional and committed people in the military (in this case the US, but it's just as applicable elsewhere) because of their sexuality. The problem is that this depiction is just dull - pure and simple. The story of two Navy pilots who dance around each other for far too long before delivering anything of substance is dreadfully slow and unemotional. Even at the end, when an NCIS that neither "Gibbs" nor "Abby" would want anything to do with, investigate their behaviour, the thing struggles to catch fire - on any level. Sure, it doesn't need to be about sex, but it does need to have something for the two rather mundane actors to give us. It just isn't there - it's hopeless at instilling any of the senses of jeopardy, uncertainty - even shame - these men face with their identities, careers and families; indeed it seems to use sloppy ballads and poor dialogue to reinforce quite a few stereotypes on both sides - which really doesn't help. This was a story well worth addressing, but not in this dull, ineffective fashion.
★ 7 / 10
I really wanted to like this movie!
jelad612-1
On the surface, it sounded great. Plus it was based on a true story. The film looks really good and the acting is great, but the script and story are so…
On the surface, it sounded great. Plus it was based on a true story. The film looks really good and the acting is great, but the script and story are so muddled. There are three main characters. Two of them, Dan and Will, are good friends and they are featured in the opening scenes. I thought this was going to be a film about them slowly falling in love, but then the third main character, Matt, shows up. The first time I watched this, I found myself saying, "Now who is he?" I actually went back and watched the beginning again, and Matt is there, but he doesn't speak a line until more than 15 minutes into the movie. The set-up fell completely flat. After that, Dan and Matt supposedly fall in love, but it's hard to tell! Matt is married and Dan has a fiancée, and both couples break up over the course of the film, but we don't see either breakup on screen. The two of them hang out as friends and have one rowdy night in a bar, but it's not immediately evident that it's a gay bar, and they leave with two women. Later on, after they decide to not speak to each other, suddenly Matt shows up and they start kissing, but it just made no logical sense, and there was no buildup. The last part of the film is actually well done, and features good acting from the actors who play Dan and Will. Overall I was just wanting so much more from this film!
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Horrible title though