I've always had kind of a love hate relationship with Chinese historical BLs. Some are genuinely excellent, but then there are others that cram in so much plot that keeping track of all the layers of betrayal and scheming gets exhausting, and I end up checking out mentally. Part of the issue is also just how much content is out there in this space, so something really has to stand out to keep me hooked. In this case, the production value is genuinely impressive, top tier stuff, but story wise, I just couldn't bring myself to actually care about these characters. There's a ton of political scheming and backstage manipulation running throughout. Somewhere in the middle of all that chaos, a hostage ends up falling for his own Prince Charming. The show runs eight episodes, each around 50 to 60 minutes long. After spending three years guarding the border, Fifth Prince Yin Qi gets called back to the capital because of a secret letter, only to end up walking straight into a deadly...
My first reaction after I came out of the theatre watching this film was that the film was alright. The problem was that sometimes too many subplots spoil a film and in my opinion this is what happened in the case of this film. Had the script focussed more on Violet and less on all the sub plots, it could have been a better movie. too many plots in this movie gave it an episodic feeling which I personally didn't quite as much as I would generally have. Violet, a 40 something fag hag is the life of every party. She is a successful PR executive for an NYC-based fashion line and has everything except she realizes that all men in her life are gay and she need someone to love her too. By way of comfort, co-worker Riley reminds her that you're surrounded by men who love you, so he and his novelist partner, Markus (director Caspar Andreas), volunteer to find her a fag stag, a heterosexual who prefers the company of homosexuals, though her roommate, Luke (writer Jesse Archer, reprising his role inA Four Letter Word ), suspects that they're an urban legend. While Violet goes on a series of blind dates, Riley struggles with Markus's desire to adopt a child; party planner Luke tries to win back stylist Darian; and HIV positive go-go boy Zeus looks for a love of his own. When her dates don't pan out, Violet turns to house model Salome who offers advice from the perspective of an impossibly gorgeous woman, like act disinterested. She meets an architect whom she thinks she can love. Slowly but unknowingly she starts to change to accommodate herself in the new man's life thereby distancing her friends but soon realizes that this is not what she is. Finally she finds the love of her life right next to her in the go-go boy who was actually the man who was always close to him but was a straight closet case.
The acting was very good by Violet but everyone else was strictly alright. Luke, her roommate was kinda actually annoying and Markus' character just after kids didn't seem realistic. Although both their respective men were super hot (not so much in the acting department). The film was funny in parts but overall left a lot to be desired. Characters could have been built a little more or just completely taken away. The only funny parts were 2 girls in the office who actually had not much to do but their minimal scenes cracked me up.
Just decent watch. The writer and director lost a wonderful opportunity they had in their hands. (6/10)
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