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 ...
A very awkward and shy teenager Paul comes to this Welsh campsite with his overbearing and controlling mother. Paul has no charm for anyone to have a second look at him. At the camp he meets another teenager George, who unlike Paul is very assertive, bullish, confident and independent. He is there at his camp with his father, who is never around. We soon find that his father is alcoholic and hardly there. The both of them make good friends with Angharad, the daughter of camp owner. Soon the boys get closer and promise to meet exactly a year later so that they can run from everyone around them and move to Australia. One year later, Paul keeps his promise but George is nowhere to be seen. Looking for him, Paul & Angharad, go to England and find him in a bad shape and he refuses to go with them sayings father needs him. But just the very next day , he shows up extremely drunk. Cleary he has alcohol issues rooted in him because of his father's situation. Paul refuses to leave his side and work towards cleaning him up and make him better. After initial reluctance, even his mother comes around., but things are not meant to be. George cannot give up his addiction and has to pay the price for it resulting in death. The ending just shows Paul as a slightly more confident man, more in control of his life with a good support system with. His family and friends.
This film was probably done at a very low budget and towards the very beginning, the tone of the film is set. The one thing that wasn't clear to me throughout was why would someone like George bother with utterly boring and weird Paul. He remains completely without charm throughout the film, probably because thats how his character was established and this starts to get very annoying after a while. The love happens so quick between the actors that its hard to warm unto them and connect with them. The story is moving and emotional, only if the focus was done on that. It would have been nice to know more background on George. Why was he behaving the way he was. Clearly he also loved Paul and couldn't handle all the love showered on him by him because no one ever cared for him; but this could have changed and the film could have a bright spot. The acting by both the actors was reasonable. I thought Angharad's character was also interesting. On the outside she was made to look this bullish, tough girl but eventually she is the only one who stands by Paul through thick and think and shows him true meaning of friendship. Sadly the film failed to focus on that aspect as well.
Even though the film was set in 80s, I expected a lot better output for a film that came out only 5 years ago. Overall there are some moments of a delightfully relaxed approach to sexuality and the adult world but nothing that stays in your mind after the film ends. (4.5/10)
Comments