ohlabtechguy

Saw this free on Tubi...didn't expect much, but was very satisfied with this production. The cinematography, acting and script were all good. I didn't find the openness of the gay love story credible, but it didn't matter. The theme of acceptance under harsh conditions and the sheer power of love are fundamental to the human psyche. We didn't get to see how the two gay soldiers formed an unbreakable, romantic bond, under such unlikely circumstances. Instead we are introduced to their characters after their relationship has already evolved. So we don't get any insights into how they were able to overcome social and military stigmas around gay men. One of my favorite scenes was when the helicopters rescued them. The script, the acting...the emotional pain and responses all resonated with realness.

The title is not about gay guys loving other gay guys without fear, but rather straight women loving "bisexual" men without fear. Acting abilities were alright, but the drama scream scenes were over the top and scary. A man who is mostly straight is NOT going to make out with another man as depicted in this movie...they went all the way, as intimate as people can get. So the blue eyed actor's claim that he was totally straight fell flat. And NO woman should just overlook the fact her boyfriend is at least an active bisexual and maybe even a closet gay. We are told it's OK to love without fear of making bad choices. Horrible message and the story lacked any credibility.

Great color and style, but the story became derailed and exhausting to watch as it become more and more implausible. At the midpoint, the movie had remained compelling and engaging, but the direction became darker and more unreal the second half. A lighter tone would have saved the movie. We needed to see some believable chemistry develop between Sean and Tippi, but all we saw was an abusive, severely disturbed woman, abuse her knight in shining armor right to the bitter end. Nobody would have tolerated such a woman, despite how beautiful she might be on the surface. There were glimmers of humor, but not nearly enough to save this unbelievable, work of fiction. Instead, Hitchcock was "light years" away from delivering pure entertainment.