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Journey With You (Chinese Series)

By Golu
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...
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Frisk

By Golu
I can see this movie being a talking point way back when it came out in 1995. But so much has evolved since then in stories, story-telling and overall cinema that it is hard to sustain interests of today's audience. This film explores the underground, less explored territories of desire in its darker manifestations and hence makes for an uncomfortable watch. Also the events sometimes don't feel linear. The film constantly goes back n forth between present and past and makes it difficult to keep a track.

Dennis is big time into S&M. He is on this path between what is real and what we can only hope is surreal. We get to follow his journey that he has written to his friend and former lover Julian and his younger brother Kevin, an object of desire to Dennis. We are told how as a teenager he is drawn to the extremes of porn and sex via a bookstore owner Henry. When he hears that Henry has been the victim of a grisly murder, Dennis fantasizes carrying out increasingly elaborate sex murders. He becomes friends with one of the famous hustlers but is somehow unable to kill him. For another murder, he becomes friends with a couple (or were they friends?). Dennis recounts all murders in gruesome details and the two brothers wonder if this is all made up. When they both turn up to meet Dennis, the film ambiguously ends with another possible murder.

The narrative of the film as mentioned above is very diffuse and all over the place. After a while I couldn't keep my hands on reality vs dream. All the murders and sex was pretty detailed, which were really not needed in my opinion. There is not much justification for the behaviour. Most people in the film seem like random people, making the plot more confusing to follow. As a viewer, I am subjected to squirm-inducing sado-masochistic rape/murders which are done on-screen for sexual pleasure. But there seems to be no point behind it. On a positive side, the acting according to me was pretty good. I mean the lead's character is supposed to despise you and you do that.

It is disturbing movie and the acts are not even shamed. I am sure there are people who may enjoy the film, but it is definitely not for me. (2.5/10)
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