This is the second vertical AI BL drama I've sat through, and honestly I went in knowing better. I had it on while I was doing cardio at the gym, and what struck me was just how much the plot echoed the last one I watched. Same step brother romance angle, same mystery girlfriend showing up near the end, same extra guy pining after one of the leads. Genuinely the only thing going for it was the runtime, the whole thing wrapped up in forty five minutes flat. The setup kicks off with Finn moving schools because his mom just married into money. He finds out his new step brother Aiden goes to the same place, and he's warned to keep his distance from him. Their first run in at school is rocky, just like you'd expect, but there's this odd pull between them neither can shake off. Finn keeps telling himself not to read into it because Aiden's straight and openly homophobic. Things shift when some kids start bullying Finn and the student council president, Ryan, steps in to ...
Beatrice and her son Elliot arrive somewhere in France to pack their bags and empty their summer house, because it is sold now. A decision that was taken by Elliot’s father, Philip (who doesn’t show up until later). We also have Clement, a young boy form Paris, visiting his aunt in the same town because of a family turmoil. Elliot falls for Clement in their first meeting, which he knows but Clement is very indifferent to it. He agrees to their invitation to help them pack giving Elliot an opportunity for them to hang out. Clement is friendly and proves to be a sympathetic ear to Beatrice, which makes Elliot jealous. He thinks she is now his rival and wants Clement. Elliot knows what he wants and he is vocal about his feeling to Clement who just ignores it. Clement takes time for his buried feelings to come out, which we don’t know since he submits to a lustful kiss by Beatrice and also to a handjob by Elliot. The father son arrives to sign papers and seemingly there are more secrets in family, which we are not told besides that their marriage is crumbling. The marriage finally crumbles and life for Elliot will not be same again in England. As a budding poet, his new life will be a departure that proves both literal and satisfyingly figurative.
The film is slow, so as an audience you need good patience to watch this The film draws heavily on emotions and the surroundings to create the longing of aloofness. It shows considerable promise when it comes to show the sensitivity of emotions and aesthetics but the same becomes tiring after a while. I men for how long can we watch the characters stare into open space? The characters sketch is interesting. I like it that we know enough about the characters but not everything, which leaves room for individual interpretation. Yes it wasn’t very clear whether Clement was into Elliot or not but thats not important, is it! Clement is aware of Elliot’s liking for him and he plays along. He himself comes from a disturbed background and takes the opportunity of human touch in his stride. Whats wrong with that? I love the scene when both mother and son ask each other why they didn’t tell me about Clement.
The film is a good story but it could easily have been cut short by 30 minutes. I don’t think it will appeal to most people but do give it a try. (5.5/10)
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