Skip to main content

Girlfriend Boyfriend (Min Nan / Mandarin) [Gf*Bf]

This Taiwanese film is more about political movement than a gay film, per say.  Set in 1980s Taiwanese sociopolitical reformation movement, it just happens to have a gay character who is also very central to the plot. Interestingly according to the director, he wanted to focus on freedom and in fact both politics and homosexuality represent that theme. I may not necessarily agree with him. But at least that gives an insight into his idea behind making this film.

Starting in 1985, we are introduced to three Taiwan high-schoolers Mabel, Liam and Aaron. All of them are activists rebelling against the martial law during the turbulent period of 1980s Taiwan. On the personal side, Mabel loves Liam a lot, but Liam doesn't really have a feeling for her. So she ends up falling in love with Aaron instead, who constantly pursues her once Liam tells him that she is not his girlfriend. Liam, in the meantime, is actually a closeted homosexual who's been longing for Aaron. Another few years pass and they have graduated from college and are working now. Aaron has a boyfriend who is also married but he still longs for Aaron. Aaron ended up marrying someone else but he and Mabel are also having an affair on the side. Among the trio, its only Aaron who thinks of himself and is practical while Liam and Mabel’s emotions rule them. Finally Liam makes a painful decision to stop loving Aaron after a confrontation following prolonged repression. He refuses to suffer anymore. And as a friend this is where he steps in for Mabel and makes her understand that she also has a choice. They are forever friends and their sublime love ends up Liam becoming the foster father for Mabel’s twin daughters, who happened to be Aaron’s kids as well.

This film is one complicated love triangle which will make your head spin upon watching the movie, but in a good way. The film is told in a more poetic style. Character evaluation of Mabel from tomboy, to daring college student a very sad woman is brilliant. Aaron and Liam are again brilliant actors. Apart from the 3 actors, there is an openly gay character who sees what’s happening between the trio, is a rational observer of life and always wants to help his friends. Its a roller-coaster ride of varied emotions ranging from happiness to heartbreak with such genuine affection. The film is sad yet beautiful
 and needs patience. You need to get into the skin of the characters and feel them. The only problem is that there are scenes that as an audience you may have to interpret, because they are not so obvious. Scenes like the one where Liam finally reveals to Mabel his affection towards Aaron, and Mabel is also devastated to realize she and Aaron can never be together during their college years is heartbreaking.

This film makes you remember your friends, how friendship can sometimes easily lead to love, how love is not always easy, how friendship evolves with time. Its essentially a poetic story tangles in the complexities of life. (6.5/10)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Shortest Distance is Round 3: Fallen Flowers

Continuing with the weird trilogy of "The Shortest Distance", I am so glad that finally I am done with part 3 and won't have to deal with this again in future. Thankfully, as of now the makers have not announced any further parts; which will save all of us on this earth from the embarrassment of watching this in near future. After the first 10 minutes are used in sort of recapping bits of first two parts, the story moves forward. Haruto is now starting to have feelings for Ruka, the mysterious pole dancer from second part. In a fit of rage, Ruka ends up killing the goat man and to save him and Haruto, Shibahara asks them to go underground. Meanwhile Shibahara continues the search for Seiya (the guy who had cut off Haruto's penis). It turns out Seiya is now also taking care of the original club owner from part 1. Both of them were released after they had informed Shibahara of Aoyama's secret location. Shibahara tortures Seiya's boyfriend leading to Seiya killin

One Summer Night (Korean)

I really wanted to like this film but for non native speakers, these movie leaves a lot to be understood and the way scenes were unfolding in front of me, I wasn't sure many times what was really going on. The story had potential button getting any back story on any of the characters limited my ability to empathize with any of these actors. Film starts with two North Korea military guys Yong Joon and Jae Sung having sex and they are caught red handed and they run. Three years later we see Yong Joon in Seoul leading a very mundane and poor life. He has a boyfriend Tae-Kyu, who is a weird guy. He is carefree, doesn't do any work and is completely emotional and financially dependent on Young Joon. In fact, even Yong Joon will go to any lengths to protect him , fend for him and taking care of him to the extent of even taking up prostitution. Suddenly one day Jae Sung appears in their life again. His motivation is not clear but it is obvious he wants Yong Joon back in his life, who

Ultimate masturbation: Shigoki no yama (Japanese) [The Ultimate Masturbation]

I would never know what was the point behind making this film. Was it supposed to be a comedy, cos it wasn't. It wasn't even porn. It was just a silly attempt at making something absolutely senseless and ridiculous. The story, as well as direction is equally shoddy. You could laugh for having seen something so bad, but I wouldn't call that comedy. An old man runs a camp about gay masturbation. The explanation given is that gays masturbate for pleasure unlike straight men, for whom the act is seen as shame or because they can't find a woman. One day a straight man shows up and wants to join the camp for his thesis. After discussion, he is allowed in. Rules include that you can masturbate together, you can masturbate one another, but there is no fellatio or anal sex. Some students of course breaks rule. The teacher then talks about 2 forms of masturbation which gives ultimate pleasure. He shows one without touching and then refuses to talk of the other. Somehow suddenly,