3
13
1
3
1
1
But first of all: I loved the actors' performances; the background music was slightly distracting at times, and the camera work was solid. The was never a boring moment, and there was much less sports than I thought.
Very obviously a lot of world/character building has gone into this drama; apart from two supporting characters (one of them unfortunately the love interest) they all had an interesting back story going on -- interesting enough that each one of them would have deserved their own drama.
Unfortunately, the writer didn't quite use these to their advantage. For most of the series, it felt like it could tip into melodrama any moment, with the one friend and the grandmother being archetypes of melodrama, the hinting at tragic backstories, and the search for the truth about Nun's mother. Really, it felt like being teased constantly. But then it went back to being a comedy slice-of-life, following Nun in her uni days doing homework, competing with friends, lifting weights in the uni club. I slowly got used to this rhythm, and even started to like it. And I thought, what an interesting concept that is, to have all these tropes but then to make the characters just accept that what happened, happened, and now is the time to look into the now and into the future.
But then, in the last two episodes, the mood changed jarringly. Only then did the screenplay tip into full melodrama: It finally revealed the tragic destiny of Nun's mother, finally the tension between Grace and her mother escalated into shouting and over-dramatic exits, finally the grandmother dramatically came to her senses within a near-death experience. Three other story-lines were also resolved in these last two hours, which gave everything too little time to feel properly rewarding.
Actually, I'd rather the writer had committed to their previous method to lightly conclude segments instead of writing melodrama. The two story lines that they *did* resolve in that understated way were the ones I felt were written the best. In my view, it also took time away from tying everything neatly together into a single theme or message. Till now, I have no idea what exactly the writer wanted to tell us: What exactly is it that Nun has learned now?
Something about truth, lies and forgiveness? Something about friendship? Something about letting go? Something about children having to love their elders?
Although the characters were nicely written, none of them got a proper character development, which I find a necessary element in youth dramas; or at least I can't see any?
And lastly, a note on the title:
"Clean and Jerk" is a weightlifting move -- and the one that Nun has the most trouble with.
Going from the design on the poster, the Thai title ลูกเหล็กเด็กชอบยก is to be read in two parts: ลูกเหล็ก /lûuk lèk/ "the child of iron" might be an allusion to her being the heir of a steel factory or to her iron will; เด็กชอบยก /dèk chôop yók/ "The child likes to lift/pick up" is the title of Nun's brother's favourite comic book but also might be an allusion to her bearing the weight of guilt for the car accident. From my observation, Thai titles often have more than one meaning, so all of these might be intentional.
Was it good?
It was engaging, never boring. But I felt that it didn't quite get to its point, and that the resolutions stayed superficial.
Did I like it?
I did. To be honest, I started it just because Pond Ponlawit has a main role and I wanted to see how he was when he started out in his career. But his character is a bit boring -- I genuinely grew to like Nun and her friends as well as Nun's father and wanted to see how it all would play out.
Who would I recommend it to?
I think those who generally get on with Thai PBS dramas and like watching youth dramas will like it.
Was this review helpful to you?
I found it to be a solid film, with a well-written script, fine acting and overall thoughtful design choices. It's "slice-of-life" in the sense that we only see the turning point in the protagonists' lives, with only hints of what happened before and an indication of what will happen after the ending credits.
The ending that doesn't tie everything up with a nice and neat bow is a suitable choice for the underlying universal themes of the film: the fragility of life, the struggle to find what you want and can do, the importance of listening and trying to understand.
And while it is a film that talks about themes that concern every human being in this earth, it also picks up topics specific to life as a gay man (some of them stereotypically so), and as such it is very much a gay film.
And even with all of these heavy themes, the characters are what bring the film to life and give it a wonderfully light optimism. Both Bongshik and Haneul are extremely likeable and realistically written characters, who get a decent bit of character growth in the one-and-a-half hour of the film's runtime.
Was it good?
I think so, I loved the actors' performance and the mix of lightness with heavier themes.
Did I like it?
It made me laugh and cry with the characters, which is always a good sign.
Would I recommend it?
Yes! It might not be the world's most groundbreaking film, but it's a solid production.
Was this review helpful to you?
It's hilarious, stupidly so, at least for those who can laugh at themselves. But I think if this had been much longer, it would have been too much very fast. As it is, it's just a glimpse into Hibiki's thoughts and his reactions to his own fantasies -- just a small collection of what he encounters daily, not a continuous story, and very much open ended.
I loved the juxtaposition between his outrageous fantasies and his earnest mixology skills -- and what is a Japanese production without some food/drink appreciation? -- a well as the bar's subdued atmosphere contrasted with Hibiki's antics. The short fantasy stories of Hibiki's were done with great care, so much so that I got invested in the ships myself -- only to be ripped out of the fantasy by Hibiki having a seizure / a nose-bleed / a fever and everyone around him being concerned. I was surprised to see so many Japanese actors with an arms-long list of previous acting roles; and that only contributed to the mix of contrasts.
One other thing I also liked is Hibiki's self-awareness. He knows very well that his fantasies are just that: Fantasies. He never expects any of them to become real -- he even has his own moral code of who is shippable (Married men are a big No-no!), and that is what makes him likeable, even with all of his antics.
Was it good?
It was a well-crafted parody, Japanese style; and a lot of care has obviously gone into the set, the costumes and the casting.
Did I like it?
I loved it! I found it hilarious.
Who would I recommend it to?
To fujoshis/fudanshis/slash-fans who are able to have a good laugh at themselves.
Was this review helpful to you?
Now, a few years later, I see that I was too hung-up about whether the publishing world was realistically depicted or not, when "Happy Ending Romance" is not about that.
No, it's a drama that tries to address several topics that revolve about one of the fundamental questions of life: What makes a life a good life?
It deals with issues around relationships between people (How will your choices affect the people around you?), around freedom of choice (Who gets to decide what is good for someone?), around honesty versus making a living (What does "success" mean?) and, ultimately, around he complexities that follow if you try to answer these questions.
This is where the story both has a strength, but also a weakness -- the characters' decisions in the past all have consequences, none of them were purely good or purely disastrous, but untangling them to see the right path forward is not easy, and requires that the characters be honest to themselves and to others. It's a strength because complex stories are usually more intriguing than straight-forward "red/green flag" romances. It's also a weakness because it requires great story-telling both in the screenplay itself and in the execution.
And this drama, unfortunately, does not reach the required quality and did not manage to evoke the right emotions for me. I think that the director did the story an injustice when they decided to start the drama with a strange, almost disjointed mix of present and flash-backs, showing the same scene repeatedly but giving us little new insight, and only tell the "big reveal" at the end of episode 7.
This way of telling the story and the backstory also put Kim Jungyhun in the "antagonist" category for most of the drama, when he should have been painted as a complex character with conflicting desires (actually, he could have been the most interesting of the three main characters).
I also feel that this should not have been a romance at all -- I did not feel a romantic attraction from Cha Jungwoo towards Taeyoung -- and in the other direction, it always felt more like a professional admiration. That the screenplay never made the exact relationship between Jungwoo and Jungyhun clear did not help. The romance was also irrelevant for the underlying topics, and everything would have worked as well, if not better, without it.
To evoke the right emotions in the audience, we should have seen and felt both writers' unhappiness in their situation. As it is, we got told, not shown and when we got told, it was too little, too late. This could have been a drama that starts with a stifling atmosphere, where everything is still, almost claustrophobic, living-but-not-alive to then finally end in freedom and light(ness).
Unfortunately, everything is bland and stays flat throughout. Neither the soundtrack (often too loud and misplaced in tone), nor the lighting, or anything except for the dialogue really changes between beginnning and ending. The sets showed that the designer tried but has no idea how a bibliophile lives -- why would you fill a perfectly fine shelf with knick-knacks and put your books on the floor? And why would you not put up another book shelf as long as you have the wall space? -- and they also missed an opportunity to make a greater distinction between Kim Junhyun's cold, still, and sterile house and Han Taeyoung's cozy and warm flat.
All in all, the drama failed to connect my emotions with those of the characters, and that might be why I didn't like it when I first watched it. I wonder if the director even had a clear vision of what story they wanted to tell?
Note that this is not the fault of the actors -- actually, they were the highlight of this drama. I loved Taeyoung's puppy energy, the long-suffering but loving friend Kang Woojoo, and the professor was appropriately disgusting. I would like to see more of all actors here in the future.
Was it good?
It's watchable but doesn't reach it's potential.
Did I like it?
Not really. I had to put in too much rational thought to understand what the drama's theme was, and it didn't make me feel with the characters.
Would I recommend it?
Not really.
Was this review helpful to you?
The last aspect is something the film doesn't do very elegantly, obviously to the confusion and disappointment of other viewers -- they feel that it's almost two different films, one a silly comedy, the other a serious crime thriller. I think it's certainly no "Le Salaire de la Peur" or even a "High Noon", but it does have its own charm and rhythm, if you're comfortable with the Thai way of switching moods within a story. Also, I felt that the comedy was still there, mainly carried by Noi, but also in some of the interactions between the bandits.
There is some romance, which I (and Noi!) felt came out of nowhere, but it seems that a romance is part and parcel if you have two main characters in the appropriate age range. (Also, it was kind of a long-term-setup for another joke at the end, so I don't mind too much.)
I grew to like the characters -- Noi, of course, who charmed me instantly, but also the prickly Chana and the wilful Riam. Even some of the villains were kind of sympathetic, although I agreed with Noi that "they [should] just kill each other".
When I looked up more information about the film, I learned that it's one of the first Thai films which were filmed on 35mmfilm, which means it has synchronized sound, i.e. that the actors' voices were recorded along with the image. Usually, Thai film makers usually used a cheaper sort of film, and the voices were either dubbed later or sometimes even dubbed by live voice actors in front of the audience. What a wild concept! I never knew that this was a thing.
I suspect that this was one of the reasons why there's so much singing and music in the first half -- Rattana Pestonji, who wrote, directed and produced this film, seems to have used the possibilities of the more expensive film stock to the fullest.
Rattana Pestonji is, according to Wikipedia, "the father of modern Thai film" -- which could explain why some aspects of "Country Hotel" feel very familiar. I will definitely check out his other works if I can find them, it should be worth it to understand where modern Thai films come from.
The copy that is available via the Film Archive Thailand on YouTube seems to not have been digitally restored, there are quite a few artefacts from degradation of the original film material. At times, the background score overwhelms the actors' voices, and there are strange cuts here and there. But to expect modern standards would only be an exercise in frustration.
Was it good?
It's not global top-tier in comparison to high-budget films from the same time. But I do think that it was made with love, and with all the expertise and abilities the crew and the actors had. The script and how the story is developed is very Thai, and that might not be to everybody's taste or feel unusual or surprising to Western viewers.
Did I like it?
Yes! I loved the comedy, I grew to like the characters, and I wanted to know how it would end. Afterwards, I felt fullfilled, and just wanted to sit a few minutes, not doing anything.
It was definitely entertaining and educational, and well worth my time.
Who would I recommend it to?
To anyone who is interested in Thai / SE Asian film history, or in Thai films in general.
Was this review helpful to you?
I assume Champ Weerachit (the director and screenwriter) did the same here as he would later do in "1000 Years Old", only there it was vampires, whose tropes and clichés I know well enough; namely that he played with the tropes, inverted/subverted them and combined them to build a new and surprising world. I suspect that I would have enjoyed it more if I knew the (pop) cultural tropes around the films referenced, Thai gangs, and เด็กวัด "temple kids". I am very sure that a lot of the scenes we saw were richer in meaning than I could possibly understand.
What both dramas have in common is a colourful design -- from the clothing and the accessories the characters wear to the sets, which are lovingly decorated. I like that "I Will Knock You" is set in a middle-to-lower-class area and both young men come from this background too -- it's unfortunately quite unusual till today in Thai BLs.
The bright colours and the way the script plays with tropes make this drama seem like it's set in a world that is a step to the side of ours, a world where fights don't really end in more than a few scrapes and temple kids and /or gangsters are not actually dangerous. Which is why the brief dip into the reality of classism and real-life consequences of knife violence felt like being doused in ice water. On the one hand, refreshing and finally something more than Thi's eternal waffling about, on the other a disruption in style. Whichever it was, the realism doesn't last too long, and in the end, we're back in Champ's fantasy world.
I do think if the script and the direction would have leaned even more into the absurd side of things, it would have made this world even more distinct and thus different from anything else in the BL industry.
I also loved the way music is used in the drama -- both as helpful characterization for Thi and Noey and as background music for setting the mood. I am a fan of Luk Krung anyway, and this was a delight.
Now, on to the two aspects that really should have been better.
One is the script, and Thi's character. He endlessly waffles about, and is never quite clear on his feelings for Noey. For the most part, it just seems as if he lets things happen around him, and never actually takes action or speaks out for himself. Even after he stopped being afraid, he never says outright "I don't like you like that, Noey" or "I like you, Noey". Not even in his own mind does he do that. And there are scenes where it seems like he has made up his mind by the way he acts -- and a few minutes later he goes "What is happening to me?" in his inner monologue. It's exhausting. It feels like Champ Weerachit didn't really want Ti to commit to being Noey's boyfriend.
The second thing, and this is even worse, is that there are quite a few scenes where Bom's ("Thi") and Tar's (Noey) acting is not good, but rather awkward. It's especially obvious in scenes where Thi is afraid, happy or feels any other intense emotion; I didn't feel his emotions at all. Maybe it was supposed to evoke second-hand embarrassment? But I didn't feel this one either. It was just ... awkward. Several of Tar's scenes felt similarly mis-acted. I wonder if this is due to the abilities of the actors or due to how they were directed by Champ?
Both of these aspects, especially the latter, are a problem throughout the series, and not even the fantasy world or the interesting premise could help. Overall, this feels like a beta version of an interesting drama (and "1000 Years Old" would be the release version 1.0) -- the main points are in place, but it doesn't quite get there.
Was it good?
I liked some aspectss of it, others were awkward and not quite polished enough to be good.
Did I like it?
I don't know. I want to like it more than I actually do, I think?
Who would I recommend it to?
Fans of fluff and plots that are different from the usual type of BL fare, who are able to tolerate rough acting.
Was this review helpful to you?
Shinmai Kisha Torokko: Watashi ga Yaraneba Dare ga Yaru!
1 people found this review helpful
I would have love it at thirteen
I didn't quite get on with this film, and I think the reason is that it might be aimed at young teenagers.Because the plot itself is nothing new -- group of underdogs discover corruption/a conspiracy, and must fight against the system/corrupt corporation/evil group to make it public. The only difference is that here, the setting is at an elite high school and the underdogs are a non-sanctioned newspaper club -- and it's all infused with messages about morals, truth and growing up. It also points out sexism, classism, adultism and how an imbalance of power easily leads to injustice. And the main protagonists and their idols are all girls and women, which I like a lot.
Viewed through this lens -- that the target audience are young -- some more things in this film make sense, for example that the evil CEO is a milk-drinking caricature of an antagonist, or that the young ones on the side of the good are Very Earnest and Very Brave.
The story starts out very slow, and builds up momentum along the script I mentioned above, with some but not many surprises who are already familiar with the tropes, and finishes in a finale that might be more emotionally satisfying for those unaccostumed with them.
Performances were appropriately earnest/comedic throughout; and there's nothing to complain about iregarding technical aspects -- I found the music slightly invasive at times, but I could blend that out quite quickly.
I wonder if this might be adapted from a manga. The actors spoke with the same speed and intonation as anime voice actors. The sets were strangely distinct, in an artificial way -- the small room for a tea ceremony in the school clashed with the modern school building, while the CEO's office would have fit in right into a business melodrama; and the way the actors stood and moved in the sets felt straight out of a manga panel.
Was it good?
It was done very well, and there was not much to complain about.
Did I like it?
I admit it, if this had been a series, I would probably not have finished it.
Who would i recommend it to?
Teenagers, aged 13 to 15. I think they might love it.
Was this review helpful to you?
All right, I thought, time travel, man out of time, comedy -- we all know how his one will go, right?
Wrong.
Well, at least I was wrong. The story continually surprised me with how it developed, to the point that I had no idea how it would end until the last five minutes or so.
If a film with a widely used trope like "time travel" can do that, then it is an automatic recommendation from me.
I don't want to spoil the actual plot for you either, but let me just say this: This might have been labelled as a comedy on JFF Theater, but it is not only that. I found more than a few thoughts about other, more profound themes in there, I was breathless during the "last scene", and I shed some tears in between.
This film is both a spoof of and a hommage to Samurai films and Jidaigeki TV shows (Samurai series). It both honors an image of the noble samurai and points out the horrors of killing and war. And, as a lot of Japanese productions do, it shows people's dedication to their craft, whichever it might be. (Also, food appreciation. Where Thai media has ghosts, Japanese media will always have people loving their food.)
The main character is so loveable, I wanted to give him a hug more than a few times -- and all of the other recurring characters are very likeable too. Watching them help and respect each other was a joy -- even the relationship between the main character and his (perceived) antagonist is full of respect.
There was some slight romance, but nothing explicit, and open-ended; it was one of many sub plots, and certainly one of the less important ones.
What makes the film even more outstanding is the performances. The fight scenes, "choreographed" and "not", look very good to my untrained eye, which is as it should be, given the two main topics here, and the actors balance comedy and darker emotions very well.
I am sure that aficionados of Samurai genre will see even more love in the film, but it was already brimming with love for filming, Samurai movies and history for me.
I don't even need to pose my three question here; it was excellent, I loved it, and everybody should give this film a try!
Was this review helpful to you?
First the good things:
The teenagers' acting was overall good. I liked the background characters, and Nazuna was very well acted. Kuwahara was cute as a button -- but why did he constantly had the same tense posture, regardless of how he felt?
The script told the story in just the right pace and fit its elements together into a whole.
But that "whole" was unfortunately overly sentimental and contrived. The plot was predictable and characterizations superficial. Major events always were very obviously conveniently timed.
Several plotholes were left at the end:
Why is a professional pianist allowed to teach at a Middle School?
Why does nobody know that she is no longer active as a pianist, and not even a search turns up that she withdrew from engagements?
Why is the boy's father suddenly okay with him singing?
As far as I know, the song the choir sings in the contest was the insoiration for the novel this film is based on -- the song is about looking into the future, not giving up despite obstacles in life, etc etc. In my opinion, the problems in the protagonists life didn't fit the song and its intended audience of fifteen year olds. How many teenagers have a dead mother and an absent father? How many have to take care of their autistic older brother? Normal teenagers's problems are very different -- and for them often as insurmountable as those presented in the film.
So, slice-of-life problems would have fit this song better. And the moments when the children were children -- girls complaining about icky boys, boys peeking at girls and crushing on the new beautiful teacher, kids forming and maintaining friendships, a boy secretly being in love with a girl, those were the only moments when the film felt real. But there were precious few of them.
Another interesting avenue to explore would have been the boy and his questions about his own purpose. If you (think you) know why you are on this world, or rather, why your parents had you -- what does it mean for your own sense of self, for your dreams and feelings?
The worst thing is that in the end, it feels as if none of the children's problems are solved -- nor does it feel as if they took a significant step forward in their lives. Only the pianist can leave the island with a lighter heart and look into the future. Were the children's stories just a means to an end?
In some scenes, as well as the island setting, I wondered if maybe this was a callback to the seminal film "Twenty-Four Eyes" -- especially the scene on the grassy hill with the teacher and her students singing felt like it was. But where "Twenty-Four Eyes" made me feel deeply, this film left me mostly cold. Near the end, I even predicted what would happen constantly just a minute before things happened, and then rolled my eyes at it. Only the two minutes of conversation, the one flashback and the song after the competition was somewhat moving -- but then I am weak when people are being kind to each other.
Was it good?
For me, it wasn't. The obstacles were nothing new, and didn't fit the song.
Did I like it?
No. I found it superficial and overly sentimantal, when it didn't need to be. Other viewers loved it and called it "heart-warming".
Would I recommend it?
Not really.
Was this review helpful to you?
So much potential wasted -- again
What all of the four-and-a-half VBL productions I've watched so far have in common is that they take an intriguing premise with a lot of potential for interesting world building and plot with depth -- and then turn it into a piece of fluffy romance.So, when I saw that "Fight for You" was another VBL production, I knew what I was in for:
* attractive main and secondary characters,
* fluff, and maybe sexy romance,
* shallow plot that never explores the rich potential for story and characters,
* the main hurdle to overcome does not naturally follow from the premise but is derived from a romance cliché,
* mediocre to great acting,
* solid camera work.
And I got all of that.
In this case, the acting was good to great -- I loved Nelson Li's performance and hope to see him in something with more depth -- and the plot was thankfully not too full of holes (like it was in "Eternal Butler") or fell apart (like in "Stay by my Side"). The background music consisted mainly of pop songs that are fine on their own but not really working as background music (same as it was in "You are Mine"), often more distracting than enhancing the experience.
And the end was so cheesy that I could have hosted a fondue party for my extended family.
The secondary couple was superfluous here and they did them a disservice in tacking them on to this drama instead of giving them their own story. (Also, why the need for monogamy?)
So:
Was it good? -- For a VBL drama, it was alright. But I do wish VBL's writers would finally commit to their plot ideas instead of reducing themselves to the (perceived?) tastes of the masses. What's most disappointing with their dramas is that there's so much more potential for a great story, layered characters and, especially as their stories are all set in the same universe, intricate world-building.
Did I like it? -- I am maybe not the best judge here, because I knew what I would be getting into when I started.
Who would I recommend it to? -- To BL fans who really want a drama to help pass the time while ogling (mostly clothed, alas!) cute / attractive guys.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Minato Akira doesn't need a boyfriend ...
... he needs therapy.Because there is really no reason at all for Minato to refuse Shin -- both of the reasons from season 1 are obsolete, everybody who knows them supports their relationship, Minato is both sexually and romantically attracted to Shin ---
Minato Akira has intimacy issues and should seek help.
And where I was a bit uncomfortable with Shin pushing Minato's boundaries in season 1, here Shin is just suffering. They are nominally "dating" but Minato keeps him at arm's length, gives him only crumbs; all the while Shin is feeling guilty for even asking for more affection.
On a meta level, this story feels as if it might have been one of those fluffy manga which find some success in the beginning, get a continuation, and then author and editor are afraid to change the formula, so everything just goes around in circles forever, until they notice they've written themselves in a corner and resolve things with the easiest plot point they can think of.
The whole thing was painful to watch, and if I hadn't wanted to know how the writer intended to escape the dead end they had been writing themselves into, I'd have dropped it in episode 4 or 5.
(The "resolving" was well-intended, I think, with a switch of their usual dynamics, but the couldn't have been more clichéd.)
In comparison, the second couple had much the same dynamic, but at least here we get to see a) a reason for the standoffish behaviour and b) some steady development. Unfortunately, there isn't enough contrast to the main couple to offset the pain of watching Minato refusing every kind of affection, so the secondary couple didn't even give me a respite from that frustration.
What's more, the few things I liked about season 1 -- the summer vibes, the cozy laundromat, the seaside town -- they are almost non-existent in this season.
The only aspect that saved this whole mess was the actors, who gave depth to their characters where there was none.
Was it good? -- No. The story went around in circles, the characters' issues were solved by a cliché.
Did I like it? -- No.
Who would I recommend it to? -- Ony to those who watched season 1, and loved it to bits. Those who were already annoyed by the first season, should stay far away.
Was this review helpful to you?
I, however, found it artificial in terms of story and visuals, and too on the nose. The characters sometimes moved through the scenery like puppets placed on a stage. Or like a pop-up picture book, if you will.
The scenes -- following parallels of life stages and seasons -- and the sub-stories felt clichèd and stale, the visuals were Ghibli-like, but without the depth Ghibli brings.
Do not look for any kind of realism here -- I mean, how would a café like this work without going bankrupt within the first year?
Especially the ending was so contrived I thought my eyes would roll out of their sockets.
(I waited for the moment that everything would be revealed as a picture book written by the main character, which would have made sense at least, but no!)
So,
Did I like it? -- No.
Was it good? -- It had high production value, and acting was superb (as expected from these actors). The story was a miss for me, but as I said, it will be loved by others.
Would I recommend it? -- Not really, no. Only if I know that the specific person loves these kinds of gentle and soft stories and is looking for something, what did people call it? "healing and heart-warming".
P.S.
Also, as a German, I have *opinions* about bread. Half of what he baked might have been パン but it was certainly not bread.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A clever little drama about the struggles of gay men in China
Before I talk about anything else: Yes, this drama is too short. Yes, it couldn't develop anything the way it deserved. Yes, the acting was awkward at times. Yes, the sound and the editing leave a lot to be desired.And yet! This little drama is almost a stroke of genius in a very special way.
We know that Chinese censorship doesn't allow any positive on-screen depiction of homosexuality (which has only got worse since this drama has been published), and that their government and society as a whole in China is openly homophobic.
So, of course people exüress their amazement at how this little drama got away with this much -- almost kisses, sexual innuendo, two men sharing a bed, hugging, planning their life together. And they are right to do so.
The stroke of genius though, lies not in what was or was not cut from the final product -- it is in the premise itself. And I have no idea how it got through.
The concept of the "Deluded" themselves is just a thinly disguised metaphor for homosexual people. If you think about how people in the drama talked about the Deluded -- the insults, the fear -- and how Deluded have to hide their very own nature, especially if they are celebrities, and whenever they are exposed, their career prospects will be over and friends and colleagues will desert them.
Lu Lin's story matches a possible journey of a gay celebrity almost beat for beat. His fear of discovery, the press that's hounding him, the boss who's exploiting his weak spot -- but also the few allies who could stand by his side. (And if you listen to the aide and the little sister? They talk exactly as well-meaning but uninformed allies of LGBTQ+ would in real life.)
If we want to stretch the metaphor a bit -- and this is where I'm not sure if this is still the makers' intention -- Jiang Yifeng's inability to feel the world (i.e. make a real connection between himself and his feelings) could also be seen as a metaphor for a man deep in the closet, who is separated from what he really is, what he really feels, who is numb to himself and the world.
Lu Lin and Jiang Yifeng's love story parallels love stories of gay men in oppressive societies around the world, and as soon as I saw it, I could not unsee it. For me, with this metaphor in mind, a lot of what happened made perfect sense, and it was extremely easy to fill in the gaps myself.
That this thinly disguised piece of art about the struggles of gay men in China got through censorship is a miracle.
So.
Is it good?
It's a Chinese censored BL amateur production, so of course not. There's a great idea that should have been given a better chance.
Did I like it?
Oh, yes! The basic idea of the "Deluded" metaphor is great, and it's very obvious that there was a great deal of passion on the side of the team.
Would I recommend it?
Only to those who are willing to overlook the poor production value and who are able to recognize the hidden story.
Was this review helpful to you?
Masks, metaphors and speaking through the words of another
"Sonnet 18" is a short film that, typical of its genre, hints at underlying themes, characterisations and even the plot itself, rather than telling us everything.With this genre, I find that either you either relate to the characters or you don't -- since there's not much time to tell the story, the viewer must make their connection quickly and easily, or they will feel like I did with this one -- able to appreciate the beauty of the storytelling but not really liking it.
Was it good?
Absolutely. It's an artistic short film that tells its story with a specific aesthetic, and it's very consistent with that.
Did I like it?
Somewhat. I can appreciate the story they wanted to tell and the artistic way they told it. But I wasn't emotionally invested enough (that's me, not the film's fault).
Would I recommend it?
I wouldn't *not* recommend it, since it's so short; and it is well-done. People who like their plots spelled out for them might not find it engaging.
I liked that almost everything was filled with meaning: Where the characters are and what they are doing there (and in what state of mind), how they speak or don't speak, and at what times each one wears a (metaphorical or real) mask. The romantic classics (Debussy, Chopin, Brahms) are used sparingly, and with clear intention -- mostly we hear no background music, and the starkness of the silence underlines the characters' emotional state.
As for the use of Sonnet 18 -- we hear it three times. The first time we hear it is when the actor recites it on stage. To be honest, I did not like that one at first -- it felt almost farcical, with the overly theatrical hand gestures and intonation. The second recitation, however, made it clear that this was very deliberate -- and the third recitation confirmed it. If you watch the film, I urge you to pay some attention to how the sonnet is spoken each time.
Dialogue was used very sparingly -- and I wished they had used even less. The long stretches of silence felt more powerful to me than any of the dialogue (except for the recitations of the sonnet); and I think some of the dialogue could have been shortened even more.
Let the sonnet and the way both characters recite it and the silence in between, do the talking. Just as no single word in a sonnet is meaningless, so the dialogue in this short film could have been.
Overall, this is a well-crafted short film, obviously made with dedication and love.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
This is a solid Taiwan-typical BL rom-com, that unfortunately goes off the rails in the last two episodes.But first, what I liked:
* The characters (except for the father) were all very down-to-earth in their living circumstances, occupations and characteristics.
* Bai Liang's character is consistently written -- his passions, his fears, his experiences in childhood, his resulting way of life -- they're all parts of one picture.
* His actor takes this, and deepens the character by wonderful acting. His expressions mask the characters insecurities, his tics hint at his emotional state, and the anxiety attacks were beautiful to watch.
* The sets did not feel like sets, they all felt like real places (except for the mirror in the clinic, which was always a bit too conveniently placed).
The main flaws for me were
1. Too many couples. Seriously, why do some writers think they have to pair up all of their characters? Four couples in ten 30-minute episodes are too much; two of them don't even get more than a few minutes of screentime. The second couple (bartender/young man) also was not needed, its development did not connect to the main couple. I'd rather the writer had taken the precious screen time to delve deeper into Jin Yun An's character, because I did not understand some of his actions.
2. The father-son sub plot in episode 11. It comes out of nowhere (there were only some very minor hints that Jin Xu An was not on good terms with his family), is squeezed into one episode, the father's actions don't make any sense (he's so much against his son being gay that he hits him, and after that's done, he is fine with it???). It seems as if the writer feelt that Bai Liang and Jin Xun An must have an obstacle to overcome and couldn't think of anything else but this contrived cliché.
So, up until the end of episode 10, this drama is good, if a bit tropey (with a meet-ugly, a tragic childhood background, wooing through food, an old love interest and more), which is tempered by excellent acting, solid directing and editing, and a good depiction of mental struggles caused by trauma. Sadly, the afore-mentioned "conflict" decreased my enjoyment of the series.
Was this review helpful to you?
