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...
The film starts with Aleksandr doing his sessions with his therapist and we keep going into flashbacks. He had moved to NY with his mother and sister in search of their father. His father had long abandoned them for his boyfriend. But after his mother's suicide, he manages to find a job as a "dancer". he meets a wealthy man Keith and goes with him to his hotel because he is longing for company and love but is shocked when Keith offers him money for sex. when the scenario is repeated a couple of times, he takes up being prostitute to make money but also searching for friendship and love. Aleksandr eventually meets a much older man Tom who is interested in him, but Alexandr is not interested. The films goes on and on on how he eventually gets into drugs and more sex and how his life is spiraling out of control. It's only when he meets a much older man and has sex with him, who turns out to be his father is when he sees the reality for what it is.
Alexandr also happens to be the director of the film, so you can only imagine that his presence is there pretty much in every scene of the film. To be fair to him, does a credible job of portraying the vulnerable desperation of a young man left on his own in a place where being alone is a dangerous place to be, minus the accent. But, its hard to sympathize with a grown up man, who keeps making one bad decision after another and then blames everyone around him for all the wrong happening with him. Talking of acting, lets talk about the therapist. Worst acting ever. So plastic, no compassion for the patient and the oddest dialogues ever given to her. Big thumbs down. Alexandr looks good and acts decent but is let down by a bad repetitive script and poor direction. Its really hard to empathize and feel for the main guy and his miseries.
Below average is how I would rate this film. There is a lot of better stuff out there. (4/10)
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