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...
All the time I was watching his film, I kept thinking "What is going on?" and you know how that is never a good sign. Expectation that this film will son start making sense,just always go downhill. Not much dialogue and only actions makes watching this film very boring and hard. I wonder if this has anything to do with not having context of homosexuality life in France in 1980's. I doubt because that should be no reason to not understand the context of a film.
A young man named Henri goes to the railway station with his parents to bid farewell to his sister, who is leaving on a vacation. The train is late, Henri has time to linger, and on a trip to the men's room he discovers that he has great passionate interest in men. One man in particular, Jean, a thug who implicates Henri in a robbery and then gives him a violent kiss, becomes for Henri a figure of enduring erotic fascination. Henri comes out of his shell that she starts getting obsessed with Jean. After a bit of gamesmanship, Jean takes Henri home, where Jean's girlfriend Elisabeth also lives. And then mutual mischief sets in. Jean sets a trap for Henri, who falls in. There is an older guy who is always after Henri and he then takes him to his home where Jean is also there and there is some hot-action there. I am not very sure of the time lapse but its never clear. The old man ultimately takes Henri to this desolated place where Jean is sleeping. By then, the lust and passion and longing for Jean has built up so much in Henri that he takes drastic steps in the end of the film.
As I mentioned, I was quite confused most of the times as to whats actually going on. Who is the old man. Sure he fancies younger blokes but what is it that makes him want to help Henri all the time. What does he know about Jean. Does Jean have medical problem or emotional issue? Why is Henri going all crazy over Jean. Why is Jean playing games with Henri, when he keeps saying that he doesn't want Henri to do anything. My list of questions will not end. Why is Henri always wearing dirty clothes. Why does he spend so much time in rushing and running form one place to another only to stop and look about ... left, right, left, right. This action of his would happen every single time and it started to bother me so much after a while. Jean has a comfortable life style at home, then why is he so attracted to the street life with hustlers. Shame, my questions will never be answered :(
In short, this film was just not meant for me. Portrayal of the turmoil of a young man wanting to escape from his boring socially acceptable family life while feeling disturbed and offended by the alternative world to which his emotions are driving him. Yawn! (2.5/10)
A young man named Henri goes to the railway station with his parents to bid farewell to his sister, who is leaving on a vacation. The train is late, Henri has time to linger, and on a trip to the men's room he discovers that he has great passionate interest in men. One man in particular, Jean, a thug who implicates Henri in a robbery and then gives him a violent kiss, becomes for Henri a figure of enduring erotic fascination. Henri comes out of his shell that she starts getting obsessed with Jean. After a bit of gamesmanship, Jean takes Henri home, where Jean's girlfriend Elisabeth also lives. And then mutual mischief sets in. Jean sets a trap for Henri, who falls in. There is an older guy who is always after Henri and he then takes him to his home where Jean is also there and there is some hot-action there. I am not very sure of the time lapse but its never clear. The old man ultimately takes Henri to this desolated place where Jean is sleeping. By then, the lust and passion and longing for Jean has built up so much in Henri that he takes drastic steps in the end of the film.
As I mentioned, I was quite confused most of the times as to whats actually going on. Who is the old man. Sure he fancies younger blokes but what is it that makes him want to help Henri all the time. What does he know about Jean. Does Jean have medical problem or emotional issue? Why is Henri going all crazy over Jean. Why is Jean playing games with Henri, when he keeps saying that he doesn't want Henri to do anything. My list of questions will not end. Why is Henri always wearing dirty clothes. Why does he spend so much time in rushing and running form one place to another only to stop and look about ... left, right, left, right. This action of his would happen every single time and it started to bother me so much after a while. Jean has a comfortable life style at home, then why is he so attracted to the street life with hustlers. Shame, my questions will never be answered :(
In short, this film was just not meant for me. Portrayal of the turmoil of a young man wanting to escape from his boring socially acceptable family life while feeling disturbed and offended by the alternative world to which his emotions are driving him. Yawn! (2.5/10)

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