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 goes in flashback where we see an older Jay going over family albums with his son. It is early 60's. We meet Jay, who is on track for his typical American dream. He is the son of a very successful businessman and his father rewards his hard work and business acumen. He marries his beautiful wife, Beverly, who gives him a healthy baby boy. But Jay is hiding a deep, dark secret. Before his wedding, on a beach vacation, Jay is served by the handsome Ricky of Puerto Rico descent and they just have a chat. Months later, Jay and Ricky meet again at a family event where Rickey is serving. They share a cigarette together. When the family returns home, Jay and Ricky begin seeing more of each other, meeting secretly at the local gay bar establishments. As good as Jay is about hiding the relationship between Beverly and the world, the cracks begin to form to the point that even his father is giving him tips. During one such meetings, the police raids one of these bars where they both get arrested. Beverly bails him out, she threatens to divorce Jay unless he seeks “treatment.” He goes through various therapies including shock treatment. Back to present day, Jay has ben telling this story to his son, who encourages him to find out about Rickey, now that Beverly has died. Turns out Jay never tried to find Rickey after that incident. He finally locates him in a nursing home where Ricky now has dementia. But his memory comes back reading the last letter he wrote to Jay, The film ends with both of them dancing together.
We have seen and heard enough to know by now that 60s was a very different time for gay community. There were pressures of “keeping up appearances” and hiding your true self for the rest of your life. These themes are handled as authentically as one can in a 60s period drama. The good thing here in this film is that it doesn't try to make a villain out of any of the three principal characters. We believe as much in Jay and Beverly as we do in Jay and Ricky. As audience and likely being gay, you do question Beverly's motives of making her husband go through the very invasive regressive and shock therapy, but if you pause for a second, you would understand her intentions. On the other hand, you feel for Jay and Ricky. Coming from two very different social status, their feelings are genuine. While Ricky is more of a free spirit, Jay has a lot more to lose here. And they share an excellent chemistry. Needless to say that they are both extremely handsome and charming. The actors all do a fantastic job. The film never makes them caricatures or over the top drama. Jay is a charismatic young man possessing both strength and vulnerability and whose life we immerse ourselves in very quickly. Beverly, as a woman who wants to save her family and then Ricky who is a tender, compassionate lover who understands where Jay is coming from. Overall, this film is a wonderful piece of melodrama. It will remind you that there was a time when being gay was a disease that needed to be cured and that, somehow, we’re still having problems making these practices illegal today. (7.5/10)
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