This Vietnamese show isn't exactly groundbreaking, but it definitely keeps you hooked. It’s a quick watch with 10 episodes that only last about 15 to 20 minutes each, and even though it uses all the usual BL tropes, it really works because you can't help but root for the underdog. The romance actually takes its time to show up and then wraps up pretty fast, but the characters still feel way more relatable than in a lot of other shows like this. The story follows Phuc, who moves from Hanoi to Saigon to open his dream bar and live with his girlfriend. Things go sideways immediately when he arrives a day early to surprise her and catches her cheating, so he breaks up with her and leaves. He ends up reaching out to his old childhood neighbors, Cong and his sister Han, who he hasn't seen in years. The siblings are struggling on their own with a massive debt and Han’s poor health. Han thinks her brother works at a convenience store, but Cong is actually a heavy for a criminal gro...
A film which could have been a decent, in fact good gay film eventually turned out to be an overdramatic coming of age, mother dealing with son's homosexuality. There were a lot of unanswered questions and sudden twists in the plot which were undesired. 8 year old Paul Portfield, an aspiring piano player and soon to be Juliard student, gets a job as a page turner for his idol Richard Kennington, a renowned concert pianist. During the concert, you get the beginning glimpses of the sexual sparks between them. After few months, when Paul finds out that his dad has left his mom Pamela for another woman, they decide to go for a trip to Spain. While wandering the streets Paul spots a concert poster featuring Richard and he sets out to find him. Paul tracks him down and drops by his hotel room where he's soon seduced by the pianist in an intimate and gentle way. Paul becomes totally infatuated with Richard but Richard goes back to NY to be with his manager and boyfriend Mansourian. Months go by and Paul is now attending Juliard, seeing an older man, and trying to get over Richard. Incidentally one day he meets Mansourian in the same building as his old lover. Mansourian tries to come on to him and invites him over to a party and seduces him. Meanwhile Pamela finds out porn magazine and Richard's pictures in Paul's suitcase and goes crazy. He rushes to NY to confront Richard but he has no idea of whats going on. Finally mom son meet and talk and everything is clarified. It is shown that both Richard and Paul loved and longed for each other but nether knew the entire truth. Paul had no idea that Mansourian was Richard's lover and that Paul and Mansourian had sex. Life moves on.
The first half of the movie was good. Beautiful Barcelona, good looking men and a spark and chemistry between the pair but things fall after the mm finds out. Actually even before that. It is never shown why Paul was dating an older man whom clearly he didn't like. Then why does he sleep with Mansourian? Just hoping to get his big break in piano world. At least thats the impression I got. Paul's character wasn't justified. Pamela was very OTT. She needs to learn how to control her acting. Rest was fine.
It s a very good first half but a not good second half but still watchable. Of course I realized that it was my second time. (5.5/10)
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