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Journey With You (Chinese Series)

By Golu
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...
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Hollywood, Je T'aime (English/French) [Hollywood, I Love You]

By Golu
"Hollywood, Je T'aime" is not just a lighthearted colourful popcorn comedy that the cover suggests. There is humour but also some food for thought. It looks at a heartbroken guy's disillusionment with the Hollywood glamour, and ultimately finds out the hard way that streets in Hollywood are not paved with gold. He has to answer the question, whether he loves Hollywood or not.

Jerome, a guy from Paris, after having been ditched by his boyfriend, and in order to overcome his infatuation, decides to go to L.A. for Christmas, at first for vacation, and maybe get his hands on acting and then for reasons not quite pinned down that seem like going for a ride. At this journey he meets various local people who help him in his destiny. He meets Ross at the beach, who lives on his own and is a drug dealer. Ross, is attracted to Jerome and helps him at various points. In the interim, Jerome befriends a tranny prostitute and, through her, meets an older, bitter drag queen who lets him stay in a room at her big house in Silverlake. Jerome samples the gay nightlife, plays at a sex club, has countless flashbacks imagining his ex Gilles is with him, and gets very disillusioned with the prospects of staying in the States. To make ends meet, he ends up getting a acting job through Ross's connections. But none of these events make him or keep him happy in Hollywood. Images of his boyfriend, keep intruding his happiness in the city of dreams. Jerome soon realizes that the city is not for him. As quickly he decided to come to LA from Paris, he suddenly decides to move back. He says his final goodbyes to the friends he had met and leaves back for Paris back to his love.

The film shows the gritty side of Los Angeles and West Hollywood, and I give it credit for being brutally honest in showing how Americans are often not welcoming of people from foreign countries. I felt that the characters were also very under developed, A little more time on them would have been good. Like Chad Allen as Ross was completely wasted. A little more connection between him and Jerome would have added some spice to an otherwise bland film. Even others were just ok. Usual bitchy drag queens and all.

There have been better films and much much better specially for Chad Allen. This is below average for sure. (3.5/10)
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