Skip to main content

Tell The World I Love You (Thai)

By Golu
This Thai film is going for that crime and romance mix inside the BL space, trying to blend coming of age struggles with gritty gang violence thrown in. Honestly, this movie really didn't need to exist. It grabs actors straight out of BL shows that you'll recognize instantly, then tries to drop them into this gritty setting with a story that just doesn't land. Even if there was some kind of heart buried in here somewhere, the way it's actually put together feels pretty amateur. Kheng comes from a rough background and has his heart set on studying in China, so he's grinding hard trying to land a scholarship. We don't get much of his backstory, but he's living with his friend Tai, who I'm pretty sure has feelings for him too, and Tai backs him up in every way he can. One day Kheng witnesses a group of thugs beating up a guy named Boang, who turns out to be a drug dealer, though Kheng has no clue about that at the time. He ends up saving Boang's life an...
Post a Comment

The Sting Of Lavender (Manipuri Series)

By Golu
I guess taking inspiration from all the Asian BL series, this show is touted as first BL series, from the state of Manipur, a princely state in the eastern part of India. Even though the series is being promoted as a BL show, I have to say that it is much more than that. BL is a part of it, but the show mainly focuses on the lead man's trails and tribulations, his family, his struggles, his friends and everything around him. It tries to tackle issues that queer folks have to face like opposition from society, from their families, from peers, and might even their own selves in the form of internalized homophobia.

Bimol is a young adult studying college, from a lower middle class family and struggling to provide for his younger brother while also dealing with his alcoholic father. The mother left them sometime back. HIs father abuses him of being feminine. To make ends meet, Bimol does makeup for girls. His only two close friends are a girl and another boy. The girl knows that Bimol is gay but his straight friend has no idea. Bimol is also occasionally bullied in school. When a new boy Albert joins the class, Bimol has a crush on him. Luckily Albert shows interest in him too and they become friends, with an indication that even Albert may like him. But Bimol's family an money struggles are so much of a pressure for him, that he can't focus on anything else. In multiple episodes we see how he is managing life between his younger brother, and alcoholic father, how he has a small difference with his closest straight friend but eventually the friendship wins irrespective of the sexual identity of Bimol. The ending is a bit vague, after Albert suddenly disappears after episode 6 and ending is left open ended with a promise for a follow up season.

Clearly this series has been made on a very very modest budget and it shows. The sting is just average, but the makers did have some story in mind. We are shown another student in the class who professes his crush on Bimol and even kisses him which gets rebuked since Bimol doesn't feel anything for him. Looks like the other lead Albert quit the show midway and the makers had to change course in middle. I later got to know of some of the struggles the crew faced while filming, including homophobic backlash, that forced their direction in a certain way, which assures me that were it not for that, the show could have gotten the ending that it deserved. There was one episode where Bimol dreams (?) of maybe accidentally killing his father. There are a lot of scenes of his internal self talking to him and taking him in all different directions. A lot of the plot is about school and family life but there is a love story too and thats why, I struggle to classify this show as a BL show. It had 8 episodes each of about 25 ish minutes. Also, the audio of this show is a huge issue which is inconsistent. Overall just a below average show, but I am glad someone took the initiative. Hopefully with second season, the makers will show us something even more promising and sharp technical skills. (4/10)
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Phor Lae Lukchai (Thai) [Father & Son]

By Golu
I think the budget of this film was probably too small, but for that, the film definitely offers a different and unique storyline without over dramatizing anything. Yes, some scenes were a bit amateurish but in the bigger scheme of things, that can be overlooked. The film is both beautiful and sad in its own unique way. Aek is a gay dad, whose partner died right around the time their son Nueng was born through surrogacy in a road accident. The relationship between father and son is unpleasant and unstable. We are not really told why, but it seems the father has been unsuccessful in caring and loving his son because of his partner's death. Aek continues to hook up wit hookers. Also, Nueng is constantly bullied by everyone around him for having a gay dad. He has no friends, except Nat, a neighborhood boy, who also happens to be Nueng's boyfriend. In a sudden turn of events Nat is found murdered along with another boy naked. Saddened by the events, Nueng jumps from roof and k...
1 comment
Read more

Gaya Sa Pelikula (Filipino Series) [Like In The Movies]

By Golu
Pinoy BL series seem to be catching up to the popularity of the Thai shows. And I must say that they are doing a pretty good job at it. Where Thai series started to get repetitive with so many shows based in a college setting with seemingly similar storylines, Pinoy series are offering the viewers with new and interesting stories and some really good sets and surroundings. This series was 8 episodes of about 25-20 minutes each. Karl, a 19-year old introvert architecture student is in the middle of an identity crisis. Prior to the start of the second semester in college and forced by his parents, he moves into his uncle's condominium unit so that he can learn to be financially independent. Karl takes on odd jobs online to do so. But when one of his major clients suddenly goes MIA, he is left short on funds and without a means to pay for his utilities. An opportunity presents itself when his cocky neighbor Vlad has to hide from his family and proposes to share Karl's space for th...
23 comments
Read more

The Tuxedo (Thai Series)

By Golu
When I saw this series with 8 episodes of about 20-25 minutes each, I thought, good: Finally someone has come to senses and made a show which is not stretched out and they have tried to squeeze in a decent storyline in a good small episode format. But unfortunately, despite a decent premise on hand, the clunky writing, bad screenplay and an extreme tasteless portrayal of mental illness makes this show, not a fun watch. By the time it finishes, you just want to laugh off at the entire absurdity of it all. Aioun is talented tuxedo designer and very much in demand but he has handful of clients and he builds suits only for people who he feels a connection to. One night when his younger brother is about to get mugged, he is helped by a total stranger named Sichol. Since he tears his suit in the fight and has an interview the next day, Aioun gifts him a suit form his design as an expression of thanks. Sichol's interview is for. Personal assistant of a man named Nawee, a wealthy heir to h...
25 comments
Read more