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 ...
The film follows journey of Laurence over a period of 10 years. Laurence Alia, a man, has been in a steady relationship with his girlfriend Fred for many years. A time when Laurence realizes that he is in a wrong body, he immediately tells Fred about it who is clearly hurt. But soon she realizes that she loves Laurence for the person he is and willing it to give it a try. She becomes the support system for Laurence while he deals with all the regular struggles that come with the transition. They both soon lose their jobs but there is passion and love that binds them together. Time moves and Fred has had enough and she leaves Laurence for another man and builds a family. This doesn't mean that Laurence stops looking for her and in fact clearly him and her are central characters to the book he writes. They briefly get together and in fact Fred even contemplates of re-starting their life together but meeting another couple with a similar situation makes Fred realize that she cant do this. The film ends with Laurence getting interviewed by the publisher of the book and her gradual journey and growth to a more determined and confident person.
The film is almost 3 hours long , so as an audience you need to have patience. I agreed it is almost like watching life events in 10 year span of a couple, but there were so many scenes that I could have easily got rid off. The length is a big negative of the film. But there are enough positives too. The film questions whether we love a gender or a person. Various people will have different answers but at least the film asks this question. Fred is willing to try while Laurence is transitioning but she misses the "man" that Laurence was for him once. The film thankfully was not over dramatic when it came to scenes and situations and reactions pertaining to Laurence's transition. People around have mixed reactions and it takes more than just courage to face the world and be yourself. The film's biggest strength is dealing with a taboo as if it wasn't. And of course a fantastic performance by the lead actors. Both of them do a fantastic job.
This film is beyond just the big T discussion. Its about relationships and love but the length of the film stops you to an extent to invest fully in the film. (6/10)
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