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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 Turns out he had an injury that ended his football days, and that's what pushed him into being more withdrawn, and it only got worse once his younger brother got picked...
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Sex Love Venice

By Golu
“Sex Love Venice” is a film has been promoted as "a tender exploration of love, intimacy, and self-discovery, set against the awe-inspiring backdrop of Venice. This touching, mesmerizing, and unforgettable film will resonate with anyone who has ever longed for a deeper connection, both with others and within themselves." Sadly, for me, this felt like a film makers vanity project where the director gets into overindulgence of whatever it is that they are trying to project not audience in the name of art. There are many indie gay films that are bad. Add one more to the list, where our lead is so shallow that his entire world solely is centered around him and his need to find romance in life.

Michael is semi-depressed. His boyfriend of many years turned out to be a sociopath and he robbed Michael of his wealth and left him. Now searching for love, Michale engages in a lot of hook-ups hoping to find a meaningful connection with someone but most guys are interested in sex. His best girlfriend knows all about this and recommends therapy as well. And then Michael's mom comes up with the perfect solution: take a trip to Venice, which she will pay for and reenergize himself, Michael agrees, and two of his friends accompany him. The trio walk around and as you can imagine The city is of course dazzlingly beautiful, the perfect place to fall in love. He meets Marco on a a dating app and decide to meet for coffee. Even though his friend are skeptical of this foreign stranger, Michael and Marco have good time at coffee. Marco takes Michael and his friends on a tour of the city. Then Michael and Marco begin having a series of dates, alone. They walk the streets of Venice, they sip coffee in its cafes and whole lot of talk about love, romance etc. Michael wants to get physical but Marco keeps him at bay saying they should take it slow. Eventually they have sex, which for Michael feels like love and not empty physical need. Of course, soon Michael has to go back, but this meeting with Marco has sort of reinvigorated his seal and zest for life to live again.

Venice is not just part of the story but here it is very much a character. Thankfully the film maker uses the opportunity and shows us around Venice unlike many other films. You get a true sense of the city. Sadly, same cannot be said about the film. The charm that a film like this needs to talk about love and life is solely missing, the trio of Michael and the two friends who are visiting with him walk around having insipid conversations that bore the hell out of you. They make no sense. And then as Marco shows Michael and his friends around his town, he plays a long game of the slow tease, keeping thirsty Michael at bay with some of the most insufferably written “Let’s-take-it-slow” claptrap ever performed in a movie. The dialogues of the film are extremely boring and I am really sorry to say but the bottomed face and swollen lips of the lead actor playing Michael were too distracting. I mean, not even for one second, I believed or connected with him as a character who is going through a bad heartbreak It all just felt so artificial and for a film with a subject like this, that is the most important thing. He was just bad. This self-indulgent mess made me waste my time. Between the overtly tacky opening sequences and it’s nudity, to the tonal shift into romance in the second part, everything feels and looks off. Many places it was almost embarrassing to watch the film. A love letter to one of the most romantic cities, this film just fails badly to ignite any feelings of any sorts. (3.5/10)
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