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Journey With You (Chinese Series)

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...

Stud Life (UK)

Our leads are charming but I feel the direction of the film here is so half hearted, that you fail to connect at any given point. The story of friendship between a 'stud' lesbian and a gay man and their navigating through life in London could have made for a very exciting story, but sadly the execution lacks fitness and maturity.

JJ is a black lesbian, ‘Stud’, who is best friend with the gay boy Sen and together they work as wedding photographers. Their clients are wide, weird and wonderful. JJ and Seb are both looking for love but in the wrong places. So, when JJ falls in love with the beautiful and mysterious Elle, JJ and Seb’s friendship is tested for the first time. Seb fully believes that Elle is ‘bad news’. Meanwhile Seb keeps rejecting the flirtatious advances of their local drug dealer because he is too busy lusting after a straight-acting man, whom he found online. JJ and Seb’s relationship is pushed to breaking point, and JJ herself is pushed to breaking point when she discovers some revelations about Elle’s private life.

I am not sure what was the purpose of the film. Was it to show that we are all individuals and our theories about love are all very personal? An individuals perception about people, love, society is different and personal and could be very different from others including your best friend, which is fine.But how does that make up for a full on feature film? The story or the point that the film maker is trying to make is all over the place. And what about the weird ending. Why would Sen be ok to fall in love with the local drug dealer? That made no sense to me. The narrative flow seems unprepared, possibly as a result of ideas being under explored and sometimes the lack of experience shows. The only good thing here is the friendship and chemistry of the two lead actors. Other than that, this film is easily a pass and not anything that has much to offer. (3/10)

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