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Stop! That! Train!

By Golu
Coming out of the same studio that gave us RuPaul's Drag Race, and stacked with a whole crew of former contestants, Stop! That! Train! plays like RuPaul basically taking a bow for the entire franchise she's built. It's not really a gay film in the traditional sense, but with so many drag stars from Ru's shows popping up alongside a few cameos from well known out gay actors, I figured it earns a spot on this blog anyway. The whole thing is completely over the top, packed with GenZ slang, loud flashy visuals, and humor that's constantly winking at you knowing how ridiculous it is. Going in you'd assume it's meant to be a laugh riot, and a lot of critics online seem to be eating it up, but I just couldn't get into it at all. I've never really been someone who vibes with campy silly stuff like this, so honestly my reaction doesn't surprise me one bit. The setup follows Tess and DeeDee, two low level stewardesses who sneak onto the fancy Glamazonian E...
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Let's Eat Together, Aki and Haru (Japanese)

By Golu
The way this film is treated with periphery of a bromance, it feels as if the makers had Chinese censorship in their mind. Regardless there is ample hint of BL here even though the interactions are strictly of that of a bromance. It's a simple story of two friends who have a very very close relationship with one another but are also worried about what future will hold for them. The film is uncomplicated with a very relaxing and cozy overall vibe to it, somewhat similar to what those Christmas gay movies give you.

Haru and Aki are friends from school and they had decided they will live together once they into university.  Aki is an amazing cook, who cooks mouth watering dishes , but is a messy person. So Haru balances him in keeping the house clean behind himself and Aki. A lot of film time goes into see Aki prepare these scrumptious dishes which both of them enjoy. They have the same social circle and all their friends have come to accept that these two are super close and there is nothing that can come between their friendship (or so everyone thinks they are friends). Of late, since they are in their last year of college, they both hav individually started to worry that soon they will need to find a job and their living arrangement will have to separate with each one going his own way. When Haru gets an opportunity to spend a year abroad to enhance his photography skills, he seriously considers it but he also doesn't want to leave Aki behind. Clearly both of them have feelings for one another but neither is able to openly express them. Even in the end, we just see Haru telling Aki that they will live together forever and celebrate many anniversaries, indirectly hinting at their mutual love.

As I mentioned earlier, this movie is very subtle, soothing, lightweight and another addition to a show/film showing us some mouth watering dishes along with full on recipes. It’s a very soft and peaceful movie with just a little bit of angst. From therapeutic cooking scenes to delightful conversations, this gentle film gives off positive vibes. Besides the food, the fun element of the film is the playful banter that the two share with one another. They joke around, tease each other, and have goofy fun together. These cute scenes showcase their endearing personalities and highlight how much they get along. All the adorable moments come from their everyday routine, like cooking in the kitchen or dining over a homemade meal. The film takes the simplicity of their domestic bliss and transforms it into a charming relationship. The actor playing Aki is definitely the charmer of the two. He is almost like a cartoon who makes me smile with his silly reactions. IN contrast, Haru is more calm. I also enjoyed the scenes where Haru's sister visits them for.  A few days and there is an instant connection between her and Aki. The film will be compared with one of my fav shows 'What Did You Eat Yesterday', but that explores all the spectrum of aa middle aged gay couple while this is more around teenage friendship and possible romance.

The one thing missing here is the romance and love. Maybe there maybe a sequel, where we get to see a full on romance between the two leads, but I do have to say that for the scope of this film, I'd say this is very much just a bromance, even though their friendship, interactions are super strong. (6.5/10)
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