This is your typical indie coming-of-age tale about a teenager, though it’s clearly working with a very tiny budget. Set within a migrant family living in Southern California’s Coachella Valley, the movie digs into how fragile old-school traditions and expectations can be. We follow a teenage son as he goes through the process of coming out and struggles to find acceptance while dealing with homophobia, domestic abuse, and a messy love triangle that involves his own sister. Goyo is seventeen and just about to graduate from high school. Since he’s been a bit more feminine since he was a little kid, he’s always had to deal with emotional and physical transition from his dad, Ramon, who is obsessed with him being "a man." The only real love he gets is from a lady next door who actually respects him for who he is. The family lives in a Mexican community where everyone works on a grape farm, but things get shaken up when a new guy named Lucio arrives. Lucio basically seduces Goyo ...
The story of the film is pretty straight forward and simple. See Joon is a popular actor who has recently being embroiled in a controversy about having hit his best friend. To avoid paparazzi, his talent management company make him live with Han Ji Woo, a handsome chef, so that he can stay away from public eye. The personalities of the two men could not be any different. While See Joon is optimistic, cheerful, happy guy, Ji Woo is a quiet person who is actually not enjoying the sudden company of a stranger. Him being popular and an actor doesn't affect Ji Woo at all. Meanwhile a female reporter is on her mission to find the truth behind the whole controversy. To keep himself busy, See Joon joins the restaurant so that he can learn to cook from Ji Woo and slowly, as you would expect, See Joon finds himself getting attracted to him. Initially Ji Woo is quite surprised with his advances, but eventually he gives in to his heart and the 2 boys are now together.
The two leads look good together and act well together but there is a lotto backstory missing here. Who is Ji Woo. Why is he so cold to See Joon at the every first meeting? Why work in restaurant? Is there a family issue? What else? We are told absolutely nothing about this character and it gets a bit messy for me, not knowing anything. See Joon's character is slightly more evolved. We slowly see his fame, his insecurities, his loneliness. With a plastered smile on his face, dimples flashing, he seeks attention and comfort from Ji Woo in odd ways. The pacing is beautifully done, and I love how things are not rushed nor too slow for this drama. They are taking their time and there is something within the story that makes it feel comforting. But even when the kiss happens, it happens a little too sudden. Also, oddly enough, besides the actors, you hardly see anyone in cafe, road, public places or anywhere. I mean, come on, these people cannot be living in a bubble where there is no one present at all.
Overall, this is a very simple, straight forward chill BL story with decent production values. The chemistry was good and the film passed on well. It son great shakes and will not give you anything new that we have not seen in the past. My expectations were a bit higher form the makers, given their previous work. This is an alright addition. (6.5/10)
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