Went in with zero expectations, but this charming old comedy turned out to be a genuinely fun ride. Combining gay characters, a pride parade, and a heist plot in one movie sounds like a recipe that could easily fall apart, but when it's pulled off right, like it is here, you end up with something that feels satisfying and delivers exactly the kind of simple entertainment it promises. The setting is Chez Nouz, a gay cafe tucked into the heart of Amsterdam, run by an older guy named Adje who acts as a stand in father figure for Bertie, the bar's main drag performer, a guy who never actually knew his real dad and has spent years fantasizing that he might secretly be the son of some famous Dutch singer. Their little makeshift family also includes Babette, the straight waitress, and Rachid, a regular who Adje took under his wing and gave a room to after his own family kicked him out for being gay. The bar's other regulars include Peter-Jan, a good looking gay lawyer, and Gijs, a...
Ah Zhe is in a happy relationship with his influencer boyfriend. On his partner's birthday, they end up going to a party, which interestingly is being hosted at a drug dealer's house and this is where for the first time he is exposed to the world of drugs. The duo somehow do it just enough and come back home but next day Ah She gets invited by the dealer Xiao Fei for a meal. The dealer has a soft corner for Ah Zhe, but before anyone realizes, Ah Zhe's life spirals out of control when slowly he starts doing more and more drugs, sleeping with drug dealers and lying to his partner and boyfriend. HIs boyfriend tries to help his to his best but he cant take it anymore. Ah Zhe's friend takes full advantage of this situation and puts himself in the life of boyfriend. Ah Zhe, now totally broken moves to the dealers house and starts dealing with no hope in life, eventually committing suicide.
As much as the film is trying to convey the evils of drug, I am not sure if it does that effectively. Sure , within the gay community the usage of drugs is even more than normal, bit with the use of excessive sexual scenes, including orgies and stuff, at one point I felt hate makers were trying to glorify the whole thing because you could see the pleasure in the eyes of people high on drugs involved in passionate group sex. The film has some explicit scenes, but thankfully the main three actors do a good job of acting and remind us again that the point here is to remind why everyone needs to stay away from this evil. The ending of the film is very touching when Ah Zhe tries to reach out to his ex or his friends one last time, but it's too late to do anything. It also reminds us that it is good to occasionally check in with your friends and loved ones to make sure they are doing ok. Ah Zhe had such a great support system and loved ones around him that he had no reason to turn to drugs in the first place, but sometimes pressure form friends, or situation make you take it up saying " just one time" and thats just the beginning of the end. Learn to say no. At just about an hour length, the film is an easy watch, although I do have mixed feelings about this. (4/10)
Comments