Writing reviews of films, books or music is not something I generally do; certainly, I read and am influenced by them, but I don't write them. This film has, however, inspired me to share my appreciation of the film.
A little background: I'm gay, but I hate gay films. In general, they're a load of crap: crass, from little to no plot, following a standard template construction that features far too much sexualisation of the cast. In short, I hate gay films for being everything this film isn't.
That being said, this film is not a gay film. There are (spoiler) gay characters, but their sexuality is, for the most part, entirely incidental to the plot and I feel it is handled quite considerately, honestly and subtly; something that, depressingly, is still rare in the film industry. But the film does cover some very important and controversial issues surrounding military service and, whilst it specifically depicts the US Navy, issues such as homophobia and death are universal.
I shall not go any further into the plot, but will suffice to say that if you like drama and are not prone to violent outbursts of homophobia, then this is an excellent film for you. My only real complaint about the film is that it wasn't released here in the UK. Instead I had to buy the American DVD and get it shipped; IMO, money very well spent.
Point of note, the DVD is rated R and states that it contains strong language, sexual content and graphic nudity. In all honesty, daytime TV is more sexually explicit and the brief nudity doesn't deserve the prefix "graphic" as nothing below the waist is ever put on show, but I would still think twice before showing it to anyone under 16.
Thoughtful and intense, this film easily gets a place in my top 10.
A little background: I'm gay, but I hate gay films. In general, they're a load of crap: crass, from little to no plot, following a standard template construction that features far too much sexualisation of the cast. In short, I hate gay films for being everything this film isn't.
That being said, this film is not a gay film. There are (spoiler) gay characters, but their sexuality is, for the most part, entirely incidental to the plot and I feel it is handled quite considerately, honestly and subtly; something that, depressingly, is still rare in the film industry. But the film does cover some very important and controversial issues surrounding military service and, whilst it specifically depicts the US Navy, issues such as homophobia and death are universal.
I shall not go any further into the plot, but will suffice to say that if you like drama and are not prone to violent outbursts of homophobia, then this is an excellent film for you. My only real complaint about the film is that it wasn't released here in the UK. Instead I had to buy the American DVD and get it shipped; IMO, money very well spent.
Point of note, the DVD is rated R and states that it contains strong language, sexual content and graphic nudity. In all honesty, daytime TV is more sexually explicit and the brief nudity doesn't deserve the prefix "graphic" as nothing below the waist is ever put on show, but I would still think twice before showing it to anyone under 16.
Thoughtful and intense, this film easily gets a place in my top 10.