Skip to main content

Never Forget Your Enemy (Korean Series)

Let's just cut right to it, this show was painfully boring. There, I said it. A story built around partial amnesia has real potential, but between the choppy scene structure and random flashbacks thrown in constantly, the whole plot ends up feeling more tangled than it needed to be. The romance doesn't fare much better either, it's written so poorly that I never really found myself invested in this couple. Both leads come across stiff on screen and deliver their lines in a really awkward way. The show runs 8 episodes, each somewhere around 30 to 35 minutes. Hanuel, a 29 year old language teacher, wakes up after an accident only to realize his memory stops at age 19. It turns out he'd been in another accident back then too, which is why his memories cut off at that point. He has zero recollection of the fact that he's currently living with his childhood friend Saebyeok, who's now a huge celebrity. That makes the whole situation even harder for Hanuel to wrap his ...

Salut Victor! (Canadian French) [Bye Bye Victor]

There haven't been many films about aging gay men , so its always nice to see a film trying to address the subject is some capacity. This film is not as much about love but more about what could happen to certain gay men in the prime of their life when their families don't want them anymore and they are so lonely. Friendships and love/admiration can bring a spark in your life anytime of the day. Friendship between two old men becomes love in their own way.

Slightly-unkempt, tired, and frail, Philippe Lanctot moves into an old age home. He is single and apparently his younger sister used to take care of him, but now after his death, he is almost forced to be in this community and he is not happy about it and is almost grumpy. The staff there tries to cheer him up but it's like he has given up on life. Suddenly a man named Victor arrives in his room on wheelchair. He is brash, talks a lot, has no theory of personal space or boundaries and is a chatty Kathy. Philippe finds him quite annoying initially but he soon starts to warm up and the two grow a good friendship where Victor teaches Philippe how it is not so bad to be there with other people. Victor gives Philippe the gift of experiencing the moment. In return, the well-heeled Philippe organizes field trips to dinner and to a botanical garden, and, unknown to Victor, becomes the man’s benefactor when Victor’s children get stingy. In one of the heartfelt conversations, Victor tells how he was married and later realized he was gay and keeps going about touching staff's junk. He also makes Philippe come out since he was always in closet and never had the courage to come out to anyone. Victor pushes Philippe to acknowledge feelings he’s always kept suppressed. The ending is a bit sad because just when Philippe starts to experience some love in his end days of life, Victor gets sick and dies. 

Although from a screenplay perspective, there is not really all that much thats happening in this film but you do see how eventually the two men start to form a bond with each other. Victor teaches Philippe how life is to be enjoyed with small little things and the latter appreciates it, He finally finds the meaning of love. With their such contrasting personalities, they truly become an odd gay couple in the latter years of their lives. Its set in late 80s, so you see how people in general including these two enjoy small pleasure of life like sipping the last drops of liquor from a flask, or delighting in merely spending a few moments together. A true friendship and love that eventually blossoms and life happens - again!! The acting by the two main leads is quite good and neither of them ever goes over board. IT is an emotional film which sadly I feel may not connect with current generation as much, but it is a loving celebration of the human spirit, which, hopefully will never die. (5/10)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Tuxedo (Thai Series)

When I saw this series with 8 episodes of about 20-25 minutes each, I thought, good: Finally someone has come to senses and made a show which is not stretched out and they have tried to squeeze in a decent storyline in a good small episode format. But unfortunately, despite a decent premise on hand, the clunky writing, bad screenplay and an extreme tasteless portrayal of mental illness makes this show, not a fun watch. By the time it finishes, you just want to laugh off at the entire absurdity of it all. Aioun is talented tuxedo designer and very much in demand but he has handful of clients and he builds suits only for people who he feels a connection to. One night when his younger brother is about to get mugged, he is helped by a total stranger named Sichol. Since he tears his suit in the fight and has an interview the next day, Aioun gifts him a suit form his design as an expression of thanks. Sichol's interview is for. Personal assistant of a man named Nawee, a wealthy heir to h...

Heartstopper: Season 2 (Web Series) (UK)

Heartstopper Season 1 was a universal hit. You could not have read one bad review or heard from anyone who has seen the show not liking it. It was the kind of series that is easy to love, with sweetness exploding out of every scene without overwhelming you. So naturally, when Netflix greenly Season 2, expectations were naturally high and the same happened with me. I didn't know what to expect, but I had high expectations of this very very sweet teenage love story. And with eagerness and being a little late to the game by a few days, here I am, pouring my t thoughts down having just finished one of the most anticipated shows of the year. The second season also has 10 episodes and has all of our loved ones from the original season. The show continues from where it had left off in Season 1. Charlie and Nick are a couple and only their very close circle of friends know about it. This includes Charlie's best friend Tao and his trans best friend Elle. The center of the show is still ...

Gaya Sa Pelikula (Filipino Series) [Like In The Movies]

Pinoy BL series seem to be catching up to the popularity of the Thai shows. And I must say that they are doing a pretty good job at it. Where Thai series started to get repetitive with so many shows based in a college setting with seemingly similar storylines, Pinoy series are offering the viewers with new and interesting stories and some really good sets and surroundings. This series was 8 episodes of about 25-20 minutes each. Karl, a 19-year old introvert architecture student is in the middle of an identity crisis. Prior to the start of the second semester in college and forced by his parents, he moves into his uncle's condominium unit so that he can learn to be financially independent. Karl takes on odd jobs online to do so. But when one of his major clients suddenly goes MIA, he is left short on funds and without a means to pay for his utilities. An opportunity presents itself when his cocky neighbor Vlad has to hide from his family and proposes to share Karl's space for th...