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...
Sometimes even the best intentions and a concept that looks perfect on paper don't actually turn into a good movie. This is an independent film that puts a spotlight on Australian Sign Language, or Auslan, and builds its main plot around a character who stutters and another who's deaf. It's meant to be this big story about love, betrayal, and finding redemption, specifically dealing with what it's like to try and fit into a society that's so quick to point out how people are different. Unfortunately, the way it was put together is so rough that it feels like you're watching 1980s television—and not even the good stuff, but a soap opera where every single scene just drags on for eternity. This thing desperately needed someone to go in with a pair of scissors and tighten up the editing. Since it runs for about two hours and twenty minutes, most people are probably going to lose interest before they even hit the one-hour mark.
The story follows Reuben, a guy who really wants to be a stage performer, but his dreams are constantly held back by his anxiety, which makes him stammer a lot. Everything changes when he meets Derek, a deaf man who becomes more than just a boyfriend; he's the spark that helps Reuben chase his goals and finally be proud of who he is. They fall for each other fast, with Reuben even learning Auslan, and they spend time getting to know each other's families. Reuben ends up writing a script based on his own life and finally gets the nerve to show it to Gareth, an actor whose career is on the decline. Gareth sees this as his big chance to make a comeback, so he betrays Reuben by stealing his ideas and tricking him into signing a contract. Reuben is absolutely devastated, but Derek stays right by his side to support him. Later on, at Derek’s sister’s engagement party, the two of them get into a minor argument, and tragically, Derek dies in an accident right after. This horrible loss actually brings Reuben closer to Derek’s family, and Derek's mom ends up giving Reuben a huge check. She tells him to use the money to live out his dream and put on a stage play about his life to honor her son’s legacy.
The film tries to tackle what life is like for people living with disabilities every single day, while also touching on the LGBT community. Honestly, I wouldn't even call this a "gay film" in the traditional sense. Sure, the main characters are part of the community and the movie looks at their struggles, but that's just one of a million different issues the story is trying to juggle at once. The plot definitely had potential, and I get that the team was doing their best for an indie project, but if I’m being honest about the actual quality, the movie just falls flat. They spend way too much time on Gareth, the fading actor, and his wife, who’s a litigator, and all their personal drama. It’s like the movie suddenly decided it wanted to be a takedown of the shady film industry and how people get manipulated. That might have worked if the acting was actually good, but across the board, it ranges from pretty bad to just okay. Gareth and the woman playing his wife were easily the worst part of the bunch, and their scenes just never seemed to end.
On top of that, the fight between Derek and Reuben felt totally forced just to move the plot along, and the sudden personality shifts in the family felt just as unnatural. Those parts of the screenplay felt like the writers were just ticking boxes on a checklist of "things a drama should have" instead of letting the story grow naturally. The only time the movie actually felt like it had a soul was in the first half hour or so, when we see how Derek’s support helps Reuben move past his speech issues through sign language. Seeing their love develop was actually beautiful and offered a really cool look at disabilities within the gay community. But other than that, the movie didn't do much for me. Like I said, the goal was noble and I'm glad someone tried to tell this story, but I've got to be objective here.
This is a well-meaning but poorly executed drama that gets bogged down by bad acting and a bloated runtime, losing its heart somewhere in a messy script. It’s a tough sit despite its important themes and a promising start. (3/10)
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