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...
The titular star and her stage partner Jup do Bairro openly discuss what challenges they face from transphobia and racism growing up in the favelas of San Paulo, exploring how they use their music to give voice to the marginalized communities they fight for. The film shows her in performance, in the studio, reflecting on the nature of identity, hanging out with friends, and also affectionately chatting with her mum in the apartment where she grew up, arguing about the community’s defeatist habit of romanticizing poverty. She aligns the experience of being trans with the marginalization involved in having no money. There is no central through line nor constancy in its narrative structure, but everything included is solely aimed at achieving one thing: to challenge heteronormativity and contemporary binary gender politics – and to this end, it succeeds. As its derogatory title suggests, the piece is unflinching in its message and Quebrada herself has the ferocity and intellect to scream it from the rooftops. Especially in today’s political climate, this is a message worth listening to.
Being constructed from mainly interchanging musical performances and Quebrada’s monologues, the picture can often feel repetitive at times and starts to drag as a result. Seeing one or two musical performances was ok, but we get a lot of those, and for me, personally, I have never enjoyed that. There are also some long shots that get on your nerves. When Quebrada hangout at home, those moments are the special ones but I am not sure what was the point of showing her and her mother showering together naked and talking about pulling penis foreskin. Clearly for provocation I guess. Da Quebrada gives the impression of being very much in the driving seat in this documentary. Through dramatized radio interviews, she talks what she thinks about feminism and transsexuality and in her private life with friends and family talking about poverty and racism. Despite her celebrity, she doesn't have money to hide behind; there's an edge of class politics to her work as well. Even at just over 70 minutes, the film doesn’t really have any cohesive structure or even attempt to contrive a wider arc. It’s just a series of random episodes in Linn’s life. She makes for a very interesting subject but the film lacks in emotional depth and impact. (4/10)
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