Stoma (English / Cantonese)

So, I did not know this until after watching the film. Apparently, before losing his battle with cancer, cultural icon Julian Lee left behind an autobiographical screenplay based on his experience of the disease. Director Kit Hung brings the script to life seven years after Lee’s tragic death. So, as much as it is a tribute to the writer's semi-autobiographical story, it is a story of loneliness and a toxic love story. Also, for information, "Stoma" is an artificial surgically created opening in the abdomen to replace the anus.

Alex is a young gay photographer who lives in Hong Kong, When he is diagnosed with peritoneal cancer, he starts doing his due diligence on how and where to get best treated and he decides on Switzerland. Alex has also had an on again-off again Swiss banker, who conveniently comes in and out of Alex's life as he pleases. He does care for Alex but also wants to stay independent and sleep around. Alex comes to Switzerland stays with his brother when he needs to get surgery. Alex's boyfriend refuses to take care of him and so does his brother. He is pretty much on his own. Alex's only fear of the surgery os that he doesn't want a Stoma, buttress what, its exactly what happens after surgery. Alex now has to endure with true resilience a long and tortuous treatment, which forces him to have a stoma that will cause a painful loss of his sexual identity.

The one big problem that I have with this film is that it keeps going back and forth so many times that you can spin around your head and not realize if you are in present or past. Especially for the scenes involving Alex and his boyfriend's relationship; it was just odd IMO. But besides being a gay story, the film is more about one lonely man's struggle with dealing with his terminal illness all by himself without any support of friends or family. And in this particular case, him being gay, which is a big part of his identity, this will change everything for him. The script needed a bit more work on fleshing out the main character because we hardly know anything about him except for the fact that he's a gay artist in an unaccommodating family who has a pick-me relationship with that white man. The characters have no empathy and would rather care about dining and watching movies, despite literal life and death stake situations in the story. It just feels too unreal, with every single character out to hurt Alex. Also, how did Alex find all that money for the surgery and post care, its never shown. There are more questions than answers in the film, but one thing is clear; no person should ever has to go through sickness alone without anyone caring for him/her. (4/10)