Skip to main content

Chained To My Bully Stepbrother (AI Vertical BL Drama)

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 ...

13 Sentimentos (Portuguese) [Perfect Endings]

This films feels like another one of those breezy films lacking emotional depth, where the film maker is probably lost somewhere on trying to make a point. It's a shame because it's from the director who made one of my fav films "The Way He Looks". It's not that the film is bad but there is really not much memorable to take home with you once you are done watching the film. 

Joao is a 32-year-old filmmaker living in San Paulo, who after ending his 10-year relationship with Hugo, turns to dating apps in search of another boyfriend. He believes that the relationship ended on a. High note which is good, because just like a TV series you don't wanna leave when things get boring. He throws himself on dating apps but doesnt jump to meet people. He wants to take things slow. meets up with a couple, Alexandre and Rodrigo, and his voyeurism leads to an unforeseen career flirtation. He also meets Viktor, whom he likes but after a couple of flings dthatfades away as well. He is also a struggling filmmaker. His screenplay is delayed by his production company. Tired of editing boring institutional and educational films, he finds success as a cameraman filming private couples having sex in amateur arty porn films, some of whom invite him into the action which he declines thanks to the gay couple whom he met earlier. Joao decides to put his life into writing as a script, but if his relationship doesn’t go as planned, he edits his entire idea. If romance doesn’t work out with Leo, he can always replace him with Vitor. If Vitor flakes, he can bring in Orlando. It’s an entertaining device that has an undercurrent of emotional avoidance for João. The film feels like a sitcom at times, though not hysterically funny.

The pacing of the film occasionally feels somewhat uneven. The narrative begins abruptly and moves slowly, but finds its rhythm as we watch Joāo explore his past relationships and his new side gig, filming  amateur porn. HIs lovers come and go, And I was also confused a few times on what really is the film trying to say! He uses his dates to enhance his script. Also, why so much focus on the filming of amateur sex? Maybe it is suggesting that engaging with intimate moments isn't inherently shameful, but can be a powerful means of personal growth and artistic expression. As an audience there were times I was able to see myself in Joao as he juggles professional and romantic trials. The actor playing the lead was fantastic, but as I mentioned before, I really am not taking anything back with me from the film. Did he have a happy ending, when he met yet another guy? Also , maybe the version I had was bad subtitles, but I am not sure why the tiles of the movie. Overall, the film is neither erotic, nor funny , it's just just average and slightly dull worth watching and just forgetting. (5/10)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Phor Lae Lukchai (Thai) [Father & Son]

I think the budget of this film was probably too small, but for that, the film definitely offers a different and unique storyline without over dramatizing anything. Yes, some scenes were a bit amateurish but in the bigger scheme of things, that can be overlooked. The film is both beautiful and sad in its own unique way. Aek is a gay dad, whose partner died right around the time their son Nueng was born through surrogacy in a road accident. The relationship between father and son is unpleasant and unstable. We are not really told why, but it seems the father has been unsuccessful in caring and loving his son because of his partner's death. Aek continues to hook up wit hookers. Also, Nueng is constantly bullied by everyone around him for having a gay dad. He has no friends, except Nat, a neighborhood boy, who also happens to be Nueng's boyfriend. In a sudden turn of events Nat is found murdered along with another boy naked. Saddened by the events, Nueng jumps from roof and k...

Sei no Gekiyaku (Japanese) [Dangerous Drugs of Sex]

Every person has their own unique way of dealing with loss. This film is as much a psychological thriller as it is a soft porn BDSM portrayal of two young men that makes the film overall horrifying as well as humane. It is really hard to describe the genre of this film in one word. Its important not that the film has some really disturbing scenes so if you go into seeing this film, please proceed with caution. Although any sexual non-consensual activity is not ok, this film has its won strange way of showing that suicide is not the only solution to all life's problems. Makoto is a regular office goer, who just finds out that his girlfriend is probably cheating on him. ON top of it, his parents sudden death coming back from a trip that he forced them to take, he gets completely dejected and decides to commit suicide. Unknown to him, he is saved by mysterious man Yoda Ryoji, and he wakes up finding himself tied up in leather and belts in a very BDSM setting. This mysterious saver soo...

The Shortest Distance is Round 3: Fallen Flowers

Continuing with the weird trilogy of "The Shortest Distance", I am so glad that finally I am done with part 3 and won't have to deal with this again in future. Thankfully, as of now the makers have not announced any further parts; which will save all of us on this earth from the embarrassment of watching this in near future. After the first 10 minutes are used in sort of recapping bits of first two parts, the story moves forward. Haruto is now starting to have feelings for Ruka, the mysterious pole dancer from second part. In a fit of rage, Ruka ends up killing the goat man and to save him and Haruto, Shibahara asks them to go underground. Meanwhile Shibahara continues the search for Seiya (the guy who had cut off Haruto's penis). It turns out Seiya is now also taking care of the original club owner from part 1. Both of them were released after they had informed Shibahara of Aoyama's secret location. Shibahara tortures Seiya's boyfriend leading to Seiya killin...