Silent Sparks (Taiwanese)

Silent Sparks is a Taiwanese movie about two gay gangsters and their secret relationship. But more than a gay film, I feel this film was more focused on probably the cons of being just aging member na dhow there is no getting out of it. This slow-burn film moves too slowly and takes forever to come to a point. From uneventful scenes to mundane chats, I was mostly bored. The gay romance also takes too long to develop. By the time there's a spark, the movie ends. Whatever the film tries to show could have been better achieved by a short film, which essentially shows two gangsters trying to hide their feelings from one another and everyone around them.

Pua is a warehouse worker struggling to make ends meet. In addition to his regular job and odd gigs, he takes on gangster work as an underling. His mother is always worried about him. He has just come out of prison and again doesn't hesitate to break the law to make ends meet. His boss pretends to care about him. We then meet Jimmy, a prisoner who is being released from jail, and who was tasked to have Pua's back while in prison. It's obvious that there is something more to their relationship with Pua excited about him coming out of jail and wanting to talk while Jimmy avoids him all the time. Put find himself neglected, rendering his pent-up desires more difficult to control than any underworld loyalties or obligations.When police gets a video of an assault that Pua was involved him, he needs a large sum of money to settle outside and avoid prison. When the boss refuses to help him, Jimmy feels Pua's desperation and offers him a dangerous assignment that could earn enough money to cover the settlement costs. Together they kill a man and a passionate kiss follows. Sadly Jimmy gets identified and is caught and this is when Pua decides to surrender as well. At least, this way he will get Jimmy's love back in the four walls of prison that he will likely not get in the outside world.

The movie sets its mood by showcasing Pua's day-to-day routine. The filmmaker drops subtle clues about Pua's background, helping the audience understand him better, but all of that starts to get a little boring after a while. I was waiting to see if there is some romance and how will it unravel but even that ended up being disappointing. While Jimmy trying to avoid Pua due to the taboo surrounding a gay relationship is understandable, but as an audience, it then adds to my frustration. You wait for the heat to pick up, but all that you get is a bit of kiss towards the very end of the film. When they finally build a spark, the film ends without exploring it further. What I would have been more interested in seeing is that how will that bind solidify in the prison. We see almost nothing of Pua and Jimmy's relationship and hence it is also difficult to connect with them as a couple. Since the movie emphasizes realism by avoiding theatrics, the actors must rely on subtle nuances to convey their feelings. They do a decent job but the lack of chemistry and barely any romance made this film a very dull viewing experience. Yes, their love was likely silent and hence the film name, but come on, you cannot give audience nothing. (3/10)