I've always had kind of a love hate relationship with Chinese historical BLs. Some are genuinely excellent, but then there are others that cram in so much plot that keeping track of all the layers of betrayal and scheming gets exhausting, and I end up checking out mentally. Part of the issue is also just how much content is out there in this space, so something really has to stand out to keep me hooked. In this case, the production value is genuinely impressive, top tier stuff, but story wise, I just couldn't bring myself to actually care about these characters. There's a ton of political scheming and backstage manipulation running throughout. Somewhere in the middle of all that chaos, a hostage ends up falling for his own Prince Charming. The show runs eight episodes, each around 50 to 60 minutes long. After spending three years guarding the border, Fifth Prince Yin Qi gets called back to the capital because of a secret letter, only to end up walking straight into a deadly...
When the film started I wasn't sure what its going to turn out to be but slowly the film got my attention. Although the pace of the film is slow but its very important to show and reflect that a the pace of life of the people involved in the story. It also would be wrong to actually label this film a a gay film but I am sure there are people who would argue that because of some of the feministic characters depicted by our main character. Duncan, a teenage young lad is left mourning after his mother's sudden death with his distant father Edgar. Unable to wholly cope with the loss of his mother, Duncan holds closely to her remnants - a chicken as a pet who his mother taught him could be calmed by putting the chicken's head in Duncan's mouth, an old fake fur coat he wears to bed, and some kitchen skills he learned at her side. Edgar is resentful that Duncan isn't more helpful on their small farm and is shaken by observing Duncan's means of mourning his mother. Duncan who is hungry for compassion encounters a neighboring kid Perry who is beaten by his father regularly. The two bond, slowly, out of mutual needs. Perry defends Duncan's ridiculing by the local rowdy kids and even encourages Duncan to join the drinking bouts with the group. Yet Duncan remains an outsider, longing to be included. Duncan is very attracted to Perry (physically and emotionally). One such evening when they are drunk, Perry ends up having physical relation with Duncan after he forces him to wear his dead mother's dress only to be later partially discovered by his father, who then forces Duncan to help him with all the 'manly' jobs. Despite Perry's refusal and saying he is not queer, Duncan manages to get a kiss form him but cannot still control getting bullied by local rowdies. As a final confrontation, DUncan ends up killing his most prized possession, his chicken. the movie ends in one of the most life affirming moments ever captured on film, when his father finally understands Duncan's agony and pain and hugs him tight.
The film has some of the most brilliant acting by all 3 lead characters. The movie slowly draws you in it. You can feel Duncan's pain when he has lost his only companion his mother (since they literally live in middle of nowhere) and how he yearns for emotional attachment with Perry and companionship and acceptance of other young guys and girls in the town. The movie is a slow poetry if I may say so. Definitely it deserves to be seen because it is so uncliched.
Brilliant performances and a wonderful script. (6.5/10)
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lol...