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Showing posts from July, 2016

That Summer (Thai Series)

This is a sweet summer love story set on an island, and the title honestly couldn't be more perfect. The series follows a few different people whose lives cross paths in a seaside town, and it deals with things like grief, healing, and the random ways people fall in love. It takes a pretty familiar romance setup but adds a little twist, which makes the whole thing feel very heartfelt. It’s got 10 episodes that run about 50 to 55 minutes each, and it's a really nice blend of being playful, tender, and romantic. The plot centers on a young guy named Lava, whose mom sends him to live with his Uncle Pheng in a quiet coastal village with his uncle Pheng. This move forces him to grow up a bit and deal with some loss. Everything kicks off when Lava rescues Davin, a prince who has lost his memory after an accident. Since the stranger doesn't know who he is, Lava names him "Wave," and they start this back-and-forth relationship full of teasing and bickering that eventually...

Mardistan (Hindi/English) (India) (Documentary)

Mardistan (Macholand) explores what it means to be a man in India. I was under the impression that this documentary would focus more on the gay aspect of men in the country but I was disappointed. Though they touch upon the subject in a minor segment but overall the documentary does try to enlighten the fact of what it means to be a man in India, a nation increasingly defined by social inequality and gender related violence. There are 4 main protagonists in the documentary whose life story we get to hear. Interestingly they represent different phases of generation as well. First we have a middle-aged writer trying to make sense of the physical and sexual abuse he witnessed studying in an elite military academy and the shock he goes through. He grows up confused as to what real meaning of manhood is. Secondly we have a Sikh father of twin daughters resisting the pressure to produce a son. And we find out this is because he was born when his father was quite old. The social pressure...

Saugatuck Cures

These days I barely am getting time to watch films. It breaks my heart because there is so many films to see and once in a while when I do get time, I hope that the film is a good one. So imagine, when you end up watching some bad spoof in the name of comedy with loopholes plenty. The intent probably is nice but its a very bad execution. Maggie runs a bed and breakfast in the town of Saugatuck. The planned thanksgiving dinner does not go well with her gay son Drew and her stuck up daughter Penelope, who thinks Drew needs to pray for his sins. She brings with her, her fiance Paul and we also have Brett, who is Drew’s best friend and also Penelope’s ex.  It turns out that Maggie’s cancer has come back but the said procedure will take a lot of money. Penelope refuses to help. Brett comes up with an idea of travelling church to church pretending to cure latent homosexuality and raise money for Maggie’s procedure. They start making money in ludicrous and over the top acting, until ...