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...
Martin, an again man, has just buried Jan, his husband of many years and love and backbone of his life. He is now struggling financially to keep up with mortgage of the house they both lovingly built. One day, a friend dog his tells him how he has fallen in love with a Congolese woman but because of legal reasons cannot support her to make her legal in Belgium. He pleads Martin to marry her in return for money. Martin agrees and enter Tamara. Martin and Tamara, who have virtually nothing in common, will enter into a marriage of convenience and will have to live together, much to their chagrin. Martin’s house becomes the theatre of a minor battle for territory, where each party simultaneously tries to retain some privacy and lay bare their own vision of the couple. Enter Philippe, who Tamara fools as her brother but in reality is her lover. The rest of the film is about whether or not and how they can work our their differences enough to actually become husband and wife, knowing very well that there is actual lover/husband of Tamara in the picture.
The main plot about the possibility of a connection between two very different people is fascinating. Both protagonists are great actors, and they make you believe that they could be the people depicted in the film. The film is an interesting mix of drama and comedy, which goes out on a limb and laughs at something that is often not funny in the slightest. It’s a comedy that chooses to believe that we all get a second chance. The movie had weak subplots about the person who supplies the money to Martin, and about the detectives whose job it is to spot phony weddings. Philippe's entry into the mix makes the proceedings interesting. The personas are real. Tamara or her lover are not there to unnecessarily take advantage of Martin's situation (which is what may feel like initially), but eventually it is about love and humanitarian grounds, which is made clear when Martin's friend demands his money back after finding out about Tamara's husband. But Martin makes him see, how these young people have a full life ahead of them and they should just leave them be. The actors do a great job, especially Martin, playing the role of a grieving and aging gay man trying to survive and give his life some meaning. The ending is sad but the touching story and relatable and credible characters make it a decent watch. As I said, the film is not about anyone'e sexuality but a story about two polar opposite individuals navigating life. (5/10)
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