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Review: Dorian Blues

Sheesh, it’s been over a month since Cinequest, and I still haven’t reviewed Slim Susie and Dorian Blues. I know the odds are against any of you ever being able to see either film, but I still feel compelled to get the word out in the hopes that they are able to get wider distribution, because both are truly excellent films (although in very different respects). I’ll cover Dorian Blues here, since it’s the more heartfelt and moving.

On the surface, it seems like a rather routine storyline. A boy discovers that he’s gay and has to decide whether to come out of the closet, given that his father is a real die-hard conservative and his mother largely ignores him. Sounds like nothing to write home about. What makes this film truly special is how true and honest it feels. Not to mention the hilarious dialogue, especially from the title character, Dorian Lagatos, played wonderfully by Michael McMillian.

We meet Dorian in his senior year in high school, and he’s still at that very awkward stage, compounded by his discovery. That, and the fact that his younger brother, Nicky, is the star quarterback at the high school while Dorian is just a social outcast with effeminate mannerisms — the kind of kid that football players pick on. Dorian’s shy vulnerability combined with his sardonic wit comes off very endearing, so you quickly empathize with him strongly as he begins to gain some confidence in who he is.

He runs up against a brick wall of a father, a strong-willed, hard-nosed conservative who belittles Dorian’s fledgling attempts to assert himself in one of the opening scenes, quickly setting up the main conflict. While the father’s domineering attitude immediately puts you on Dorian’s side, he seems almost a two-dimensional caricature. Almost. While I do wish they had fleshed out the father a little more, on second thought it actually seemed a realistic depiction of Dorian’s view of him. Plus, you do get glimpses of more depth than it at first appears, and the relationship between him and Dorian is definitely realistic.

The interaction between the two brothers is also very convincing. Although Dorian is a year older, Nicky surprisingly acts like the big brother, often looking out for Dorian and giving him pointers. In addition, Nicky is the successful football player that their father always wanted as a son, and the father never lets either of them forget it. You might expect Dorian to be bitterly jealous and resentful of Nicky, and although that undercurrent is there, they have a loving bond that is really the core relationship of the film — a relationship that is rather complex and rings true.

Indeed, the whole film just feels like a real person’s life, and not a scripted movie. The way the different characters react to events is surprisingly unpredictable. Not in an uncharacteristic sort of way, but in a sense that you think you have them pegged, but then you discover there’s more there than you thought. Life-changing events also happen unpredictably, instead of on cue as the plot calls for it. Plus, a diverse array of interesting characters enter and leave his life naturally (instead of having the same few characters show up again and again, as most films do). The whole movie absolutely immerses you in Dorian’s life and is utterly convincing in its realness.

To be sure, there are a few missteps. It’s a bit of a jarring change when he goes to college. The film jumps ahead in time and all of a sudden you see him with a new life in a new place with new friends to whom you never really feel properly introduced. And the scene with “Muscles” didn’t really seem to fit. It seemed an unsuccessful attempt to inject some suspense and danger into the film, but at this point, you’re already strongly vested in whether Dorian achieves happiness that putting his life in danger was totally unnecessary.

But the fact that you care is what makes this film special. You are totally engrossed watching Dorian grow and change before your eyes, and you do care deeply about the outcome of his inevitable confrontation with his father and the aftermath. It’s a powerful poignancy that feels honest, not manipulative, as the events feel realistic, not staged. And it helps greatly that Dorian is not depicted as an idealized perfect being, but a real person with his own quirks and flaws.

The film is also surprisingly funny, with especially witty dialogue from Dorian as well as plenty of hilarious moments, like when he meets his boyfriend’s parents for the first time, or when his first high school fling takes him home and does his best impression of dancing. The entire sold-out theater burst out into raucous laughter more times than at many comedies I’ve seen.

A good deal of the cast is made up of recent Carnegie Mellon University drama graduates with little or no experience, but you’d never know it from the film. The acting is solid all-around, especially Michael McMillian and Lea Coco as Dorian and Nicky. Steven C. Fletcher successfully walks a fine line as the father, and Leslie Elliard puts in a fine turn as the counselor who helps Dorian work up the courage to come out to his father. Ryan K. Berkowitz has a starring moment as Tiffany, a stripper who reveals to Dorian her dream of a singing career, doing a remarkable Billy Holliday impression. During the Q&A session, someone asked if that was really her singing, and indeed it was. She indulged us all with a fabulous Judy Garland impression as well.

Tennyson Bardwell is a first-time director and writer here, and in addition to coming up with an absolute knock-out script, provides very assured direction, allowing the actors and characters to carry this film. The introduction of the brother is unconventional and cute to grab your attention, and the whole movie is framed in a flashback which I think was somewhat unnecessary. But after those hooks, the camera gets out of the way, letting you enjoy the story (although there is also a nicely done montage of Dorian’s therapy sessions).

At Cinequest, Shelley Morrison (who plays Karen’s maid, Rosario, from Will & Grace) introduced the film, and she said that she told Cinequest she’d only be willing to do an intro if she could watch the film first before she decided. And she said after she watched this film, she knew it was truly special. As we watched it, we knew she was right. I’m not the only one who loved it. Ealasaid called it an amazing film. And at Cinequest, it won Cinequest’s Audience Choice Award, and Bardwell won Cinequest’s Emerging Maverick award. It also won the Audience Award at the Lake Placid Film Festival and the Best U.S. Screenplay at Newfest.

I’ve seen about twenty to thirty Cinequest films, including some really good ones, like Slim Susie, Lovers and Leavers, The Invisible, Come Together, Design, Grownups, Want, Expecting, and The Anarchist Cookbook. Well, there’s no question in my mind that Dorian Blues was absolutely the best film I’ve seen at Cinequest, ever. Definitely a film that everyone should see.

Overall rating: 9 out of 10 cute smiley fishies.

Update 7/2/04

You can find out more about the film at the official website.