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...
Set in Bordeaux, the emcee of local drag nightclub is killed one night, and Inspector Michel is called in to investigate. The film started with us seeing Michel with another man in Paris, so we know that likes men but we are then told that back home he has a loving wife and a kid. Back to the murder, As Michel starts to interview various staff and performers, he pays special attention to cute blonde musician Bernard. He is young and cute and before they both realize, they eventually have an intense love affair. What Strats off as clandestine meetings in Bernard's house eventually leads to hanging out at cafes, fairs and even Michel asking his brother for his spare room. They conduct it rather openly, which eventually raises concerns from all around: His wife, father-in-law, brother etc. Rumors start to spreading the department as well. When the wife confronts him, Michel doesn't shy away from accepting the affair but also smug saying that she should likely go too US and take break from marriage. A puppeteer from the club gets a word of this affair and he starts to blackmail Bernard and in one heated argument Bernard pushes him and he dies. When the body is found, all fingers point to him. Michel admits to him that he cannot help him much, but it would be better if Bernard leaves town. Bernard knows that when investigation starts, truth about the affair may also eventually come out. The film ends with two other cops arresting Bernard and when he tries to run they shoot him down with Michel watching over this incident.
The ending actually made me think whether Michel was in on the murdering of Bernard! Well, this could be my conspiracy theory, but whatever! Even though this film may be promoted as an investigative thriller, it is actually not that at all. We never get details of why the first murder happened. The focus is more on the illicit romance and the reactions it provokes from polite bourgeois French society and I have to say that this is a surprisingly frank depiction of a love affair between a bisexual married police investigator and a gay musician. We see how naturally love affair develops and we see how those two can keep their relationship on a low-profile in order to not attract attention to a prominent and respective figure as the inspector is, also a very careful man since his other affairs were always one night stands that no one suspect about. Also interesting was to see how Michel's wife has supposedly always known about her husband's philandering ways, but now that it seems he has seriously fallen for a man, this starts to worry her. The concept of a lavender marriage in 80s? It's a very seductive and potent film about the problematic and differences between love and passion, real commitment or just mutual interests and the line between all those elements could fool a smart man like Michel, and confuse an impressive streetwise like Bernard. And if there's one great topic debated with a fine intensity here is the question of sexuality and how labels should never been applied to a person, as Michel's family have trouble with a proper definition when the affair is revealed. As I mentioned before, we don't get to see any intimacy here. They don't kiss at all, and the two bedroom scenes shown give us almost nothing. For a film that dares to walk on controversial themes, for its time, the director made it all too clean and cute, there was no risk. The two leads actors were charming and do their part very well. Despite its flaws, considering this film came when it did, this was a refreshing watch , even if its conclusion of events felt very rushed and sudden. (6.5/10)
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