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Contrast (Japanese Series)

By Golu
This is basically a high school BL where two guys who have nothing going on in common somehow end up getting really close to each other, and that's kind of the whole point of the title too. There's barely any drama or fluff packed in here, it stays pretty straightforward the whole way through. A little bit of friction pops up here and there, but it's nothing compared to what you'd normally get in this kind of show. Runtime wise you're looking at 8 episodes, each one sitting around 25-30 minutes. The two guys carrying the story are Akira and Kanata, and funny enough they knew each other's faces way before they ever knew each other's names. Kanata's the type everyone likes, always got people around him, popular guy, but there's this distance to him that people can't quite place. Turns out he had an injury that ended his football days, and that's what pushed him into being more withdrawn, and it only got worse once his younger brother got picked...
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Sisid (Tagalog)

By Golu
Two people in supposedly straight relationships have a chance encounter leading to an unrequited love form the crux of this film. An unrequited love that may not lead to a happy ending, this film reminded me on one of my favorite Peruvian films of all time at quite a few places but this film does not  come even close to that. Its just the setting an idea of people growing and changing in their quest for love over a period if time is always intriguing.

Jason is a marine biologist, who wife of 7 years is dealing with sickness, probably cancer. On a work assignment h needs to go tot he island of Polo to lead the rehabilitation and preservation of a fish sanctuary. There he meets Dennis, who is also his assistant. Jason slowly gets to know Dennis' family and their struggles being poor. Meanwhile Jason's dying wife is trying to set her husband up with her friend after her passing. As days go by, Jason and Dennis develop romantic feelings for each other, eventually giving in to their sexual desires. Things get complicated when Dennis girlfriend gets pregnant, which is a big deal in the society. Same night Jason's wife finds out about their affair. Abby's shock from her discovery made her illness worse, resulting in her hospitalization. Both Jason and Dennis now have to make some real hard decisions and do the right thing for their loved ones, leading to an unhappy ending to their love.

The first thing that stays with you after watching the film is the gorgeous scenery, lush ocean water, and the overall surroundings and peace and tranquillity. I wish I could spend time in one such place to unwind. That apart, the story of the film has merit but a LOT of things have not been developed. The primary being relationship between Jason and Dennis. There is no proper built up of their relationship. I am sure in their respective jobs, they are around naked men all the time, so clearly there has to be something more than physical attraction for the two supposedly straight men to get attracted to each other. I felt that was missing. Also, Jason's chemistry with his wife was missing. I mean, the story should hav been super interesting on paper, but somewhere while execution, its missing something. It doesn't have that fitness and polish that could have elevated this story to another level altogether. Was the love between two guys just superficial and more lust (maybe.. maybe not). Dennis does the right thing by getting married and having a baby but what will happen of Jason. His wife dies and he is alone. His battle is far from over. I am sure there are many real life people who are stuck in sham marriages when they are secretly in love with same gender. Love is love, beautiful and painful irrespective of sex and gender, but the film maker has slightly missed an opportunity. Don't get me wrong, the film is still worth watching and enjoyable. The good looking leads make our job as audience slightly easier. (6/10)
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