Reviews

An interesting prelude to a complelling second part

"Irresistible Love" is a story that is divided in to two movie and the first part "Secret of the Valet" is just an introduction all the important characters in this storyline and getting the basic plot in order. There is drama and emotion, all meant as a prelude to the main content that is part of the second installment.

To summarize, the story is about Shu Nian, an orphan who enters the Xie family as a child and is tasked to take care of Xie Yan who regards him more as property than a person. Xie Yan returns after studying abroad and immediately tasks himself to be around Nian, oblivious to the fact that Nian harbous feelings for him. Things take a turn for the worst when Xie Yan being an open homophobe discovers Nian's feelings and immediately pushes him out of his life. This separation from Nian, makes his recognize his own feelings towards Nian

The plotline is rather simple and is mostly driven by the characters. Shu Nian, is our poor damsel in distress and is saved by a knight in shining armour who takes him away from the orphanage. Nian is forever obliged by this act and becomes a play thing for his saviour. Xie Yan from the beginning acts like a bratty child and uses Shu Nian with complete disregard for his feelings. This attitude of his continues even as an adult. Nian, however looks beyond these faults and is in love with Xie Yan who inturn rebukes him at first and on realising his true feelings acts obsessive. We as viewers are left pitying Nian and hoping Xie Yan finds a way to redeem himself.


The actors Wang Bo Wen and Meng Rui were exceptional in their portrayal of the characters. Bo Wen with his whispering dialogues demonstrated the vulnerability of Shu Nian as a character whereas Meng Rui played the angry, obsessive Xie Yan to the T.

In conclusion, "Irresistible Love: Secret of the Valet" serves as a promising prologue, providing a glimpse into the characters and their intricate dynamics. The exceptional performances and character introductions set the stage for an anticipated continuation in the subsequent part, making it a worthwhile watch for those invested in character-driven romantic dramas

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The projector turns on. The big screen lights up. The images roll. The movie within the movie begins. The latter is a kind of Filipino-style surrealism that will soon envelop us. “For adults only” can be read on a curtain after crossing the porch. Meeting point for hustlers and scammers. Prostitutes and homosexuals offer sexual services sitting in their seats or in the main lobby. Transvestites and bisexuals kiss or have oral sex with anyone in the dark while the unsurprising gaze of a child on a bicycle. The room remains in darkness with the smell of overflowing semen. There is no celebration of flavors with popcorn, candy or hotdogs. A labyrinthine space with more than one surprise in every corner.
Service (Serbis, in Filipino) is a 2008 independent drama film directed by Brillante Mendoza, leader of a generation of new Filipino filmmakers who leaves a trail of wonder wherever he goes. With this, his seventh film, Mendoza was the first filmmaker from his country invited to compete for the Palme d'Or in the official section of the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. It is also the first Filipino film to compete in that important international film event since Bayan Ko: Kapit sa Patalim, by Lino Brocka, in 1984.
The script, written by Armando Lao and Boots Agbayani Pastor, shows us thieves fleeing from the police roaming the hallways of the theater. Mothers with infants looking for another child, also a minor, who may have entered the dark room to meet with gays. Sellers of flowers or watermelon seeds walking through what was once a prestigious establishment that became a dilapidated movie theater dedicated to presenting double programs of erotic and pornographic films from the 70s, to advertise their products for sale. People going up and down stairs in an endless maelstrom of sound, noise and movement.
Transvestites and prostitutes showing their bodies to the moans of the movie lovers in the background as if they were being exhibited on a catwalk. Homosexual couples at the entrance to the bathroom waiting their turn to let off steam, but not the urge to urinate but the sexual appetite.
Family problems aired in everyone's ear. Sewer water that floods the bathrooms and nooks and filters down the stairs to the ground floor. Between the stench and the squalor, we will soon learn about the various family plots that will become intertwined with the comings and goings of the public and clients.
Claire Villareal's montage allows us to appreciate the graffiti on the walls of the bathrooms or hallways that display penises or vaginas with the names of their owners along with the telephone number and the price to be paid by the potential client. Layers of paint with a broad brush to hide graffiti. Posters of gay and erotic films hanging on the walls. Lazy people are the only ones who do not have entry permission, as can be read on another sign at the entrance. A runaway goat pacing in front of the projection screen after entering through a hole in the wall. Lights that turn on. The luminosity invades the stalls. Pants that are pulled up in a hurry, zippers that close in an enigmatic frenzy, shirts that hide nakedness are placed again on the unsheltered bodies. The lovers run in terror due to the terror of being surprised. The four-legged animal on the run and in pursuit a herd of two-legged animals that bleat as much as that one.
Two cinemas closed due to the economic crisis and this one, the only one open, does not generate enough income to feed everyone. Rolled films pad the walls before rolling across the floor to the Philippine Rabbit Line bus that links Angeles City to Manila. The city, doors outside, like another spectator of the film that rolls inside the building. People on the streets coming and going and fixing their gaze on the posters to discover that it is not the one showing the film they expect to see.
If viewers have their party at the Family cinema, the Pineda family, a matriarchy around which children, grandchildren, cousins ​​and nephews swarm, also has its treat. Together they run an old, baroque, grimy, decadent and labyrinthine cinema, which in turn serves as the home of the family clan, a kind of microcosm in which women, especially the two mothers, play a central leadership role in all the events. senses, moral authority and control of the property and custody of its members.
Nanay Flor, the matriarch, her daughter Nayda, her stepson Lando and her adopted daughter Jewel are in charge of selling tickets, meals and candy. His nephews, Alan and Ronald, are respectively the painter and the projectionist. While the family members go up and down the stairs in their daily chores, what happens in the living room and the more than populated hallways is foreign to them.
Bigamy, unwanted pregnancy, hasty commitment to silence what others will say, possible incest and boils on the skin are part of the daily challenges faced by this troubled family. And there, before them all, the true “star” of the show: a huge, dilapidated movie theater that serves as a family business and living space.
The exploration of family dynamics, particularly the relationship of Nanay Flor, played brilliantly by Gina Pareño, and her daughter Nayda (Jaclyn Jose), adds depth and emotional resonance to the story. The cast also includes Coco Martín, Dan Alvaro, Mercedes Cabral, Julio Diaz and Kristofer King.
As the film progresses, the plot becomes increasingly absorbing, drawing viewers into the journey of what happens in each space of the film establishment. Gian Gianan's music helps with this. Photographed by Odissey Flores, the raw, arid images, infused with a moving intimacy, enhance the emotional resonance of the story, while subtle touches of ironic humor serve to increase the tenderness aroused by the members of this surprising fallen gang. .
Mama Flor under the clock that relentlessly rings, with her best clothes, waiting for the curtains to come down. The cinema is silent. People go out. Among them Alan, backpack on his shoulders, fleeing from responsibility.
The tape burns. The projector turns off. The big screen goes dark. Images die until the next day. The movie within the movie ends.

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Raw, Gritty & Intense

This is a movie that lays out in detail all the ugliness of the darker side of Thai society that we do certainly not see in BLs. Since I honestly know little about the political inner working of Thailand, I do not know whether this chronicle is based on some semblance of truth or not. However, as in any premise, I do believe some kernels of truth and honesty are no doubt in this screenplay and part of it must be taken at face value. We tend to not want to think of or perhaps see that a fantasy land of ours (such as Thailand) has a darker side to it, but it does. And this movie presents a very dark, depressing, look at that reality. There is no romance here nor any hint of a BL; but it does present a side of the adult entertainment industry we tend to dismiss or pretend does not exist as we glaze over or gloss over the geo-political strife that might also exist in that part of the world when we watch BLs in the comfort of our homes.
You can read my full review of this movie at BLBliss.com.

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A story who was badly written.

So, you put two BL actors who are a couple in real lie. You expect chemistry... Well, it never showed. I didn't feel any love between the characters, and even after they slept together, still no emotions.
The story was ... blah. Revenge of a ghost who married a rich man, who himself was in love with another man... Not the story of a lifetime. He could have been scarier, with much more drama. Another woman who is living the same life as the ghost, or a revenge of someone reborn... So many things could have made it much better. But they focused too much on the two main characters and forgot what the movie is about. I very rarely judge a BL that low, but I expected so much from this movie. I hope the production will do a better job with their next film "The Next Prince" !!!

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Should you give this movie a chance?

If you have seen 'One More Chance', you might want to watch this movie. But don't expect it to be the upgraded version because it might not be what you expect. Popoy and Basha’s flawed relationship in the prequel survived, and this movie takes an observant look at their married life with a subtle focus on the ‘seven-year marriage itch’.

The storyline progressed in phases: from the wedding, then fast-forward to the present day. It gives an understanding of what is going to happen next, which is the challenges they are facing of being married. It’s understandable that so much could change their dynamic as a couple after almost 12 years together (they dated for 5 years in One More Chance and married for 7 years in this movie). I’d say that the conflict doubles down on the movie’s realness and is reasonably exaggerated for melodrama’s sake.

Bea and John Lloyd, as usual, deliver a good performance. They are who they should be, as they just perform naturally while giving sincerity to their roles. Their chemistry is undeniable. There are moments that made me smile, sad, frustrated and even made me go “aww!”

Like the prequel, A Second Chance is not lacking in sweet romance, some corny lines, dramatic conflicts and arguments, supportive friends, and a predictable ending – a standard romance-drama formula. The emotional rollercoaster is there, but not enough to leave a lingering feeling or a lasting impact. There are a few things that I think could’ve been done better, but overall, the movie is not bad.

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A really fun light-hearted movie

When the trailer of this movie was first released, I had assumed that the the movie was set in between the last few episodes of Geats. Imagine my surprise that the setting turned out to be set after the series end!

I had already anticipated a lot of laughs from the movie, especially with Kan-chan playing 4 different versions of Aces but I hadn't expected the way the plot end up leading to that point. Yet it was still interesting to see and have different versions of Ace interact with the rest of the cast, it which surprisingly matched with some specific qualities of Ace and the other players.

And I love the core theme of the movie which was basically about asking the question of what's the most important qualities of a hero.

I love the casts. Kan-chan really doing his best to bring up a lot of comedic acting that he really didn't get to do much in the main series. And I love how Ryuga's acting was so on point in support of Kan's (alongside the rest of the casts) and made the movie really enjoyable to watch. Some bits of the villain plot and the general plot might've felt to be moving too fast... but I had fun watching this.

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A Beautiful Romance with a Historical Backdrop

If we did a crossover between “I Feel You Linger in the Air” and “To Sir With Love”, the end result would be “After Sundown”.

Adapted from the novel “Dap Saeng Rawi” (ดับแสงรวี) by CEO, the movie is a rustic romance with a slight supernatural edge. The first thing I noticed about this movie is that, even though it was promoted as a horror thriller; the story is anything but that. The film is a delicately crafted romance between the main leads, Zee Pruk (Phraphloeng) and NuNew Chawarin (Rawi). The movie is full of cliche tropes- social divide, arranged marriage and revenge. This might make it sound old-fashioned, but that’s the charm of this movie which keeps you enthralled from the get-go. I wasn’t much invested in the horror aspect and only watched this because Zee & NuNew are a force to be reckoned with. And they do not disappoint, although their scenes here are a little less passionate (as compared to their romantic scenes in “Cutie Pie The Series), their chemistry shines through. Let me walk you through the best moments in this movie!

Read the complete article here-

https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/01/12/after-sundown-movie-review/

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La triste réalité pour certain-e-s

L'histoire est un coup de poing. Après c'est un court métrage à petit budget, il pèche par quelques maladresses mais les acteurs sont à la hauteur du propos. Ce n'est pas un BL c'est un film qui expose crûment une réalité bien triste. Le personnage de Bank est tout excusé du son attitude envers le personnage de Jack : ils sont tous les deux de jeunes lycéens. Leur histoire a commencé dans " My Friendship 2" qui a été tourné après celui-là, il est d'ailleurs plus accompli du point de vue narration et cinématographique. Lorsque l'on a vu les deux parties on se rend compte des errements de Bank et la non acceptation de ses propres désirs, et les difficultés de Jack à être ce qu'il est et sa grande souffrance. Si la fin peut paraître abrupte, elle me semble juste car que pourrait-on dire d'autre? Ce n'est pas des courts métrages à regarder dans un moment de tristesse car il faut s'accrocher pour ne pas être éprouvé. J'ai lu plusieurs critiques que j'ai trouvé assez injustes : oui il y a des manquements mais ces films sont produits pour exposer des faits, et montrer certains aspects de nos sociétés hétéronormées et leur violence envers les personnes LGBT.

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Charming and frustrating and lovely

Finally got around to watching this and I totally fell for the simplicity, tenderness, even the frustration, of this lovely drama, which starts in 1994 and then jumps in years as the story plays out.

Jung Hae-in is a top actor for sure and is like a chameleon, adapting to seemingly any role, with ease. I like how his character in this, refuses to be defined by a key moment in his youth.

The role of Min-soo fit Kim Go-eun like a glove, too. The character was mature, forthright, open and outspoken, which I loved. That balanced JHI's role, who was trying to bury a part of his past, which leads to him often shutting her out.

It really is like fate, the heavens and everything in-between, is trying to scupper their future together.

There are no ridiculously mean, cruel or bitchy characters in this film, which for me, made a welcome change. There is drama and life dishing out some really bad luck, but it feels very normal and more like real life.

Misplaced loyalties, dark shadows, guilt, acceptance and love is the journey.

The story is made by the cast though, for sure. Well worth a watch.

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Not a gold mine but still find bit of gold

Seeing the legendary Tong Leung and Andy Lau - as well as other big names in HK film, you may think this will be HK's next big movie. However, this is no Infernal Affairs. On the whole, this is an average movie executed relatively well - considering the HK film industry in the past decade. The biggest negative was the script, which was held up by a stella cast (mostly Tony), stunning visuals and a good soundtrack. It's worth a watch if you are a Tony fan or a HK cinema fan.

Characters/Acting:
As expected, Tony Leung has a stella performance and holds up the entire film with his charismatic acting. Tony played an amazing "crafty villan". Disappointingly, Andy's character is incredibly dull with very little interesting points despite marketed as Tony's "rival". The supporting characters are a lot more interesting than Andy's who accomplishes very little in the movie and did not even have 1/3 of the screen time. A complete waste of Andy's skills if you ask me.

Plot/Script:
The story is inspired by real events and quite interesting enough. The flashback focusing on Tony was fun to watch especially with Ton'y charisma. There are a few points in the script that were poorly written such as a few points that were mentioned and never addressed, There are some interesting twists in the movie as well as things that needed more explanation.

Execution:
The visuals are pretty good, there are quite a few visual metaphors and the cinematography is not bad. Visually, the movie looks great. The soundtrack is also quite memorable and helps elevate the movie.

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Les difficultés de communication

C'est un court métrage à petit budget alors je ne ferais aucune critique sur la production en elle-même.
Cela nous raconte les difficultés de dire les sentiments, les maladresses d'expression ( Gentle qui se fâche à cause de l' "abandon" de Motor qui est allé à un rendez-vous amoureux.) et les tâtonnements pour se connaître. La narration peut paraître un peu brouillonne mais elle est logique, il manque juste un peu explications sur la relation entre la jeune fille et Motor ( ils ont eu un problème dans le passé : a-t-il pardonné? a-t-il passé l'éponge et rien dit à la jeune fille? ou veut-il continuer coûte que coûte cette relation afin de cacher ses véritables sentiments? Le narrateur nous laisse peut-être le champ libre pour notre imagination. Sinon c'est doux et j'ai aimé que l'on est le temps de voir l'histoire se dérouler.

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A quiet call for improvement, compassion and understanding

I have a lot of time for youth drama, especially Japanese films. This one is gorgeous in its simplicity whilst drawing in complexity through quiet touches of the brush, moments which imply more than they state.

The situation Sarya is in because of her family's status as refugees and from a people without a nation is both social and political commentary, a quiet call for improvement, compassion and understanding, and metaphor for the struggles of a young person to find her place, not because of her own uncertainty but because she doesn't fit neatly into society's expectations.

If the ending confuses you, look to what is implied. There is sadness, and there is hope.

May we all do better for our young people and for all who need our help.

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Heteronormativity at its finest

Change the character of Rawee into a woman, and you'll get an old-fashioned, tropey romance movie with a supernatural side.

Why?
Rawee is the typical young orphan, who is brought into the house of a new family, first of unclear status, then gets engaged to/married off to the family`s son.
Rawee stays at home and makes desserts for the family, while Phloeng is outside, doing business things. Rawee is easily hurt, and the manly Phloeng carries her, sorry, him, because Rawee obviously can't walk on his own after scraping a knee. Phloeng is the one who gets jealous and overall is the one who pushes their relationship to the next levels.
Apart from one remark at the beginning, Rawee's gender has no relevance at all.

There's really no point in Rawee being a man. (Because the character isn't, it's just a male body in a female role.)
(Edit to add: And it's a stereotypically "weak" female role, at that. I like women to have more agency, and Rawee basically has none.)

The side couple really had no relevance to the story (at first I thought maybe the ghost would use it, but no.) and could have been left out. Instead the time could have been used to tell the ghost's story in more detail.

The acting was all right, good by the seasoned actors. Cinematography was fine, music non-remarkable.
Sets were appropriate for the early 1960s, as far as I can tell. I'm not too sure about the clothing -- in Europe no man would have just casually worn a T-Shirt, and short trousers for a young men of 21 years would have been a no-go. but I'm not familiar with Thailand's fashion in the 1950s and 1960s, so they might be okay.

Well, at least now I can point to another movie whenever I want to show what I mean when I talk about heteronormativity in BL dramas and movies.

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