The story follows Jia Hao, a drag queen, who left home years ago and is now returning for the funeral of his abusive father. Her brother travels often for work. Soon after this event, the mother starts to show signs of dementia and given healthcare s expensive, Jia Hai decides to take car of her full-time. One day when the mother forgets who her son is, on the spur of the moment he takes on the role of her daughter to calm her down. The film is then more a tender story of how Jia Hao helps her mother and takes care of her as her daughter. She takes her out for food with friends, makeup, and just generally have fun. Jia Hao's boyfriend, a Taiwanese photographer stays by her side throughout. Her brother initially though despises Jia Hai, he also eventually comes around. A lot of family secrets are revealed in this and the biggest one comes as a shock to not just audience but characters as well but I have to say that it is all handled beautifully.
Though the movie begins on a serious and dramatic note, its tone lightens at some point, eventually taking the form of a more comedic, crowd-pleasing family drama. By shifting between scenes of Jia’s drag performances and his daily attempts to care for his mother, the film captures the change, from moments of forgetfulness to the more devastating realities of dementia, while also highlighting the limited acceptance for cross-dressing and gender nonconformity in both government policy and other people. Jia Hao’s fun banter with his mother is a joy to watch. His sarcasm can be taken as rude or disrespectful, but he speaks the truth. As time goes by, even his mother learns to embrace it, and eventually him. The central role, of course, is Jia Hai who is just absolutely remarkable in this performance. Despite how others view him, including his own family, Jia Hao refuses to be defined by external biases. His resilience in the face of challenges is impressive. He delivers Jia Hao’s confidence hidden beneath profound sadness and loneliness. As the film develops, so do its characters. Jia Hao is no longer tied down by hatred, his older brother owns up to his responsibilities, and his mother comes to terms with her past. I also appreciated the boyfriend, who was quietly there always with Jia Hao also taking care of the ailing mother. This film is a good example of how to balance humor with social commentary and drama. Having said that, it is not without flaws. The twist in the end about adoption was likely not necessary. It just adds extra melodrama but overall the film was still a good attempt. (7/10)
Comments