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 ...
Ryan is an openly gay Chinese American, working towards his dream of leading a magazine cover shoot. He is doing ok but hasnt quite established himself yet.When upcoming Beijing film actor Ning arrives in New York , his request of being styled by a Chinese stylist fits the bill for Ryan. Ryan is very American in his ways, doesn't read or understand Mandarin and has no interest in his Chinese heritage. When Ning realizes that Ryan is gay, he first fires Ryan but this job is important for him , so Ryan convinces him to take him back and also making it very clear that Ryan is only into white men, so Ning need not worry about Ryan hitting on him. The strict professional relationship starts growing due to complications that involve race and cultural identity. During a photoshoot, when a guy casts racial stereotype on both of them, it unites them both. Ning and Ryan both slowly start to understand each other's world. Ning gets to know why Ryan is the way he is and his background is with his immigrant parents and how its important for Ryan. One night at a party, they get real close and get physical. No Ryan understands briefly on Ning's need to remain in closet and why that is important for a public personality like Ning who lives in China. You see both of them falling in love but they both hold back. When a magazine captures the two men together, Ryan is forced by Ning to make a statement that he is just a friend. Ryan, who almost decided to move to China for work, take a restock and looks forward to his life, especially when Ning tells him about this old Chinese saying that " You need to give you something in order to realize your dream"
There are so many good things and good moments in the film, that its difficult to put them all here. I absolutely loved the fact, how Ryan slowly gets to connect with his Chinese heritage, something he has always tried to ignore and become an American. This struggle is something I and a lot of my friends deal with constantly. The chemistry between Ryan and Ning is magical. You go on a journey with them where it starts with distrust, friendship and eventually what seems like love. Neither of them say it but you see both of them have this special feeling for each other but neither of them will be able to take the decision. Both the characters are complex and as an audience, we are made to understand why they are, the way they are without over justifying their actions and especially without over-dramatizing everything. The film is more about Ryan's self discovery and identity and not about sexuality. Its the way he reconnects with his heritage that makes this film more endearing for me. Both me are extremely good looking and bring the characters of Ryan and Ning alive on screen and its fun to watch them. There are also some nice light moments in the film. I was quite impressed with small touches of quotes written on Ryan's apartment wall which makes it very personal to his space. I am very glad that the film didn't follow a cliched path and ended up with 2 men being together. It was more practical that this could not happen and the two men will eventually go their own separate ways, but neother of them will be able to forget each other. Ning taught Ryan about reconnecting with his Chinese heritage and Ryan teaches Ning about how and why its not that hard to be true to yourself and not be in closet.
I would highly recommend this film. There are way too many good about this film and needs to be seen by more people. Besides sexuality, its also about your identity, personal and professional and relationships and people and everything. The film has soul. (8/10)
Comments
Now I can't dare not to watch it : You are my master of good taste for the tenth Art.