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Contrast (Japanese Series)

By Golu
This is basically a high school BL where two guys who have nothing going on in common somehow end up getting really close to each other, and that's kind of the whole point of the title too. There's barely any drama or fluff packed in here, it stays pretty straightforward the whole way through. A little bit of friction pops up here and there, but it's nothing compared to what you'd normally get in this kind of show. Runtime wise you're looking at 8 episodes, each one sitting around 25-30 minutes. The two guys carrying the story are Akira and Kanata, and funny enough they knew each other's faces way before they ever knew each other's names. Kanata's the type everyone likes, always got people around him, popular guy, but there's this distance to him that people can't quite place. Turns out he had an injury that ended his football days, and that's what pushed him into being more withdrawn, and it only got worse once his younger brother got picked...
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Giorni (Italian) [Days]

By Golu
This is a film about "living with Aids," how it can in some ways "robotize" one's behavior, cut one off and harden one in his interactions with others. How stupid and delusional is the one who gets infected, on purpose, because it's the more "natural" way to make love. It shows the problems that a HIV+ individual has in balancing his desire for freedom with his responsibilities and his long term relationship.

Claudio, a successful banker is HIV positive for a while and lives with his partner Dario while also being a caregiver for his sister and mother. Because of his condition he cannot enjoy passionate intimacy and this is building up tension within his psyche. Claudio has had a fling with a guy named Andrea. While Dario and Claudio are planning to move to Milan for good, Claudio meets Andrea again in the restaurant that he works and instant sparks fly again. When they go back home for sex, Andrea clearly says that he wants all natural and no condom because he loves Claudio (who at no point hide his status). They start an affair but Claudio at the same time is very scared and tells his partner everything. In the meantime, when Andrea gets sick (fever etc.), Claudio takes care of him hence ignoring his own health. The doctors mention hat he needs to take it easy. Survival instinct kicks in and Claudio leaves everything to go and live in another town all by himself. A year later he finds out that Andrea is dead.

This movie was wrong on so many levels. Why would the two main characters decided to engage in unsafe sex and were in love, although they'd known each other for little more than the act itself. If it was all about true love, then why does Claudio leave Andrea to die rather than being with him. On a positive note, the daily struggles of a positive man are shown in details. Claudio's hope for and despair of finding understanding and love, and his many unexpected losses and rewards are portrayed with the empathy of someone who has obviously seen the battle up close. But apart from all this, there was nothing much to offer in the film. Claudio's performance was very rigid. It is only Andrea who adds some life by his charm in the film.

Below average for me but some people might like it. (3/10)
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