I prefer to listen to "A Song for Wowie" by Nuna Esguerra.

"A Song for Wowie" by Nuna Esguerra is heard. The cheerful music takes us to an atmosphere of joy and hope. It is the moment when Vince (Patrick Laano), the young ABM student, meets Paolo (Neo García), the HUMSS student, on an elevated bridge that connects their respective faculties, at the University of Manila, the Philippine capital.
Thus begins 'Hanggang Dulo', the 2019 Filipino short film, directed by Trina Indunan, winner of the Best Film Award at the MILk Film Fest 2019, created as a student thesis defense aimed at breaking down stigmas and prejudices surrounding HIV/AIDS, as well as to confront indifference, and meet all those who strive to make it visible.
In its 10 minutes of footage, we follow these two strangers who will soon be best friends and soon friends will also be lovers. Everything seems to be going well between the two, when, suddenly, Paolo discovers that Vince has hidden his HIV from him.
It is then that somber, sad, hopeless music envelops the viewer, and the chords of "Oppressed" by Yan Abelardo are heard.
I thought for a moment that deception and betrayal would be the essential components of the short, but we soon learn that Vince has acquired the disease through perinatal transmission of HIV, that is, by the transfer of HIV from an HIV-positive mother to her child during the pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding.
With the purpose of raising awareness, as well as support for people living with the virus, 'Hanggang Dulo' offers us themes related to romance, openness and understanding.
In addition to starring in it, Patrick Laano intervenes as co-director and editor of an audiovisual that has an original script written by Rica Razal and Ross Ramos, whose dramatic basis is made up of the hopelessness, fear and feeling of helplessness that the two young people experience in the face of illness and the fate of their lives.
Instead of walking away for fear of also contracting the disease, of questioning him, of appearing hurt or offended for having been ignorant of what is happening to Vince, Paolo becomes the patient's support. In this way, this film about AIDS is one of the many that have already been made on the subject that could almost be considered something similar to a subgenre.
Vince embodies an apathetic approach to the disease: he does not raise his fists against death and for the will to live, but rather he limits himself to continuing with what he has left or believes he has left of life as if the ominous shadow of his mortality were not It will accompany you everywhere. And she ends up abandoning Paolo to avoid suffering and pain? So as not to be a burden to him? Vince, tired, chooses to give up.
And this is the point where the short film fails. AIDS is not as deadly today as it was decades ago. From the report of the blood test results, we know that Vince goes to the laboratory on June 14, 2017. By then, HIV is no longer considered a fatal disease because survival in patients with HIV is longer by years. It is only fatal if it is not diagnosed and treated in time. This is not the case of the character.
If the person has HIV, they do not have to develop AIDS. Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome only occurs when the defenses cannot cope with opportunistic infections and other associated diseases because the defenses are weakened after years of HIV infection.
Despite Vince having developed an opportunistic infection, such as pneumonia diagnosed by his doctor, and having low levels of his defenses, the truth is that there are very good drugs against HIV, so much so that today it is not fatal, but rather a disease. chronicle. In addition to these, he has the prescription with the antibiotics in his hands.
Nothing makes me doubt that the young man does not follow his treatment correctly and take care of his body, so he can live a long and full life with HIV like anyone else.
The ending is open. As the final credits roll, the viewer watches as Vince approaches Paolo and, laughing, hugs him from behind. He is not surprised, and lets him do it. Has he been able to overcome the pneumonia? Is Paolo still waiting for you? Is it just Paolo's imagination? Did Paolo comply with what the doctor ordered, did he have blood tests done and has he also contracted the disease? Have they both died of AIDS and meet again in death to continue their romance?
It all happens on the same elevated bridge where they met, on the way to university, that day of joy and hope, while "A Song for Wowie" by Nuna Esguerra was listening.
There, instead of the wallet, they both stole each other's hearts. This is the final image I would like to take with me.

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It fulfills its objective of serving as a link to the long-awaited sequel

The group of friends from Golf High School ("Fluke" Teerapat Lohanan) and Bank ("Fluke" Sripinta Pongsatorn) have gathered (hence the title) in a house to spend a day of vacation dissipating the summer heat in a pool. They have left high school behind and are now pursuing university studies. Despite having each embarked on their own path, they maintain friendship and contact with each other.
While they are having fun between games and jokes, Golf appears, who acts as host and has invited his friends, as on other occasions, to share time like this with him. The attentive public expects that at any moment Bank will join the group and resume the love relationship he had with Golf. But this does not happen.
This is how the viewer understands that contrary to what was narrated in the film 'My Bromance', Golf did not die of a brain disease as Bank was led to believe. Golf, along with his friends and parents, have lied to him about him being dead. While Golf tells Tar (Worakamon Nokkaew) that he still misses Bank, Tar and Parn (Varatchaya Comemamoon) respond that they also feel bad for cooperating in the lie.
'My Bromance: Reunion' (Thai: พี่ชาย, RTGS: Phi Chai), also called 'My Bromance Special Episode: Reunion', the Thai BL and LGBT-themed short film directed by Nitchapoom Chaianun, is not intended to follow the romance between these two boys.
A question that the public asks: why the short film? The story of Golf and Bank had its end with the death of the former while the latter would remember him not only for having been his youthful love, but also for saving his life by donating his kidney. But the impact of the film, both inside and outside Thai borders, led the filmmakers to take up the story in a later sequel, but to do so they needed to explain that Golf had not died.
Regardless of whether or not you like what is shown on the screen or how unethical you can see behind a lie for whatever reasons, the truth is that the short, released on May 18, 2015, fully fulfills its function of continuing the events narrated in the film 'My Bromance', by the same director and released a year earlier, as well as serving as a link to its long-awaited sequel 'My Bromance 2: 5 years later', from 2020.
In this way, the creators could resume the story interrupted with the "death" of Golf, to introduce the viewer to the subsequent continuation of the romance: after the traffic accident they suffered, Golf has not died, as they made Bank believe. . Golf continues with his studies, although he still suffers from the aftermath of the tragedy.
Instead of confronting his parents, his immaturity led him to lie to the person he loves, because he considered that the farce is a good idea to make Bank forget him and thus be able to turn the page on that romantic relationship so frowned upon by his parents. both boys.
However, Golf has not been able to forget Bank, and he will ask his friends to continue giving him a gift from them every year, on Bank's birthday.
The sad, distressed looks of everyone show that, deep down, they do not agree with the situation and they hope to be able to reveal the truth to Bank at some point and that the two boys, if they wish, can continue with their romance. .
And so it will happen, but it will be reviewed at another time.

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An obsession that haunts human beings: seeing people who hate each other love each other

Golf (Teerapat Lohanan) is an 18-year-old young man who lives in a wealthy house but with a dysfunctional family, whose parents have barely taken care of him. Her mother has died and she now lives with her aunt and her father Vut, who is constantly on business trips and whom she blames for her mother's death.
After being orphaned, he has changed his behavior from being an athletic and active young man to behaving aggressively and temperamentally. His friends describe him as a playboy and foul-mouthed. From his father he has only obtained little love and inattention, but a lot of money that does not fulfill his life. Circumstances have caused Golf to feel resentful towards his ancestor and this animosity has an impact on his personal and student life.
The Thai film 'My Bromance' ("พี่ชาย My Bromance", Phi Chai My Bromance) revolves around this axis, filmed in 2013 and released on February 20, 2014, which tells the moving story of two teenage stepbrothers who go from hating each other. to love each other passionately against all odds.
Set in Chiang Mai, this romantic youth drama with a BL and LGBT theme, has its turning point when Bank (Sripinta Pongsatorn), a gentle, kind and sweet-tempered young man, ends up moving to Golf's house, since the father of He and Thara (Chiangmai), his mother, have just gotten married.
Bank, a teenager four months younger than Golf, hopes to be accepted into his new family. However, his new stepbrother will make his life impossible, as he does not accept his father's new marriage or the fact that he now has a younger brother.
Directed by Nitchapoom Chaianun, the film follows the toxic and sentimental relationship that arises between these two young high school students who, due to their parents' marriage, begin to live under the same roof as "brothers." Despite initially teasing Bank, he and Golf can't help but get closer. Before accepting each other as stepbrothers, they must learn the art of living together, overcoming environmental obstacles and falling in love little by little. Will the feelings of love between siblings grow beyond that?
However, despite the abyss that separates them because they are socially considered "brothers" and their enormous differences in characters and personalities, both will begin to feel an irresistible attraction that will soon become pure fire and unbridled passion. Neither the continuous rivalry between the two nor the opposition of those around them will be able to prevent them from ending up lost and secretly in love, which will put their forbidden love to the test.
The synopsis of the film already tells us several keys to success, as previously demonstrated in other filmographies and generations 'Grease', 'My Fault' or 'Three Meters Above Heaven'. A teenage romance with hints of forbidden love on all sides, first because the family members resist the idea of ​​the boys being homosexual and, secondly, the refusal to accept that both violate their status as "brothers."
Marked on the component "hate and love, between which there is but one step", the film narrates an obsession that haunts human beings: seeing people who hate each other love each other.
The chemistry between Golf and Bank is super special, it transcends the screen, and is totally enjoyable and emotionally impactful. It is a very passionate story of young love, which is the most intense, and above all loaded with a lot of action, in addition to being very visually beautiful.
If there is something that really stands out in 'My Bromance' it is the team formed by Teerapat Lohanan and Sripinta Pongsatorn, who give us great performances of their characters and share enormous chemistry on the big screen.
The first, within his leading role, performs a masterful characterization of Golf, taking into account that it is a complex interpretation on a psychological level. Perhaps at first he seems to us only a young man marked by the circumstances that have led him to disrupt his own life and he shows us an obsessive and somewhat egocentric and even selfish personality by not accepting his father's new relationship, which is why he comes to hate his stepbrother, but how with the passing of the minutes a change occurs in him that floods us with inspiration and hope.
Refusing to issue a single spoiler, it remains to say that the film has continuity in 'My Bromance: Reunion' (2015), 'My Bromance' (Channel 9/Line TV, 2016) and 'My Bromance 2: 5 Years Later' ( Line TV, 2020). About these related titles… we will be talking soon.

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Delicacy and subtlety to, from black humor, address taboo topics: transsexuality, violence and death

Just hearing the premise makes one curious. Action films abound, but there can't be too many like 'Man of High Heels,' a moody, moving and violent Korean cop-gangster film written and directed by Jang Jin.
Released in 2014, this South Korean noir film stars Cha Seung Won, who plays a homicide detective who hides a big secret.
Nicknamed Cyborg due to the metal plates on his arms and legs and his ability to make an arrest using only his formidable martial arts skills, even criminals are amazed by his toughness and physical prowess: gangster gang leader Heo -Bol (Song Young-Chang), was singing praises to Yoon Ji-Wook moments before the man appeared to beat him and his henchmen.
Skilled in hand-to-hand combat, Yoon Ji Wook is a tough homicide detective known for his ability to catch violent criminals using his own harsh methods. Revered as a legend among police officers, he is simultaneously feared among the mafia for his brutality in cracking down on crime.
However, beneath that macho and unscrupulous hard man appearance lies a secret that no one can know since the society in which he lives would not view him favorably: apparently the epitome of masculinity, Yoon Ji Wook feels that She is a woman in a man's body.
As much as she tries to suppress this inner desire, she can't fight what she really is: Yoon identifies as transgender.
The film is an intricate film noir story, and woven into the mask of the crime plot is the story of Yoon's decision to live his true life.
Upon finally reaching the point where he resolves to be a woman and decides to take the step of undergoing a sex reassignment operation and thus be able to see his teenage dream come true, he requests discharge from the police force.
This is when the turning point in the film occurs. Before having the opportunity to enter the operating room, unexpected situations begin to happen that interfere with their plans. His numerous enemies think his career change is also a perfect opportunity to take revenge. When some of his close friends are murdered and Jang-mi (Esom), a girl whose brother Yoon loved at school, is kidnapped, he realizes that he can't stand by and follow his dream any longer. How much will revenge cost him?
The members of a gang who had to go through bad times due to the actions of our narrative hero will come for him. Recognizing that it would be difficult for them to take revenge directly, they decide to endanger not only their dream but the people they love.
It is striking that in the history of cinema there has never been a film that deals with the issue of transgenderism in the way that 'Man of High Heels' does. Jang argued that he was inspired to write the script by friends who had encountered prejudice due to their sexual identities, and one of them had been forced to leave the police institution for being gay.
Furthermore, its subversion of classic action movie tropes typifies the irreverent approach of its director, who has built his reputation satirizing Korean society and mischievously modifying cinematic traditions.
With great delicacy and subtlety, the director addresses a topic that is widely carried and brought up by many people who are still full of prejudices who are not careful when it comes to pointing the finger at everything they do not know or do not understand.
'Man of High Heels' manages, with great elegance and good taste, to reflect transsexuality on the screen, and not only in an illustrative way but with a message to all those who dare to judge people who suffer this desire in their flesh.
On the one hand, the protagonist nails his role like very few other actors could have done. Cha Seung Won exudes masculinity from every pore. That is why it surprises many to see him dressed as a woman.
Reading comments from MDL users, one can notice the large number of people who are surprised to learn the premise of the film, and there are those who attack it because "I don't like it" and "I don't understand" or they simply attack it because they consider the way in which transsexuality is approached is crude.
The film is not only about seeing one of Korea's most mature actors transvestite, but also that 'Man of High Heels' debunks the idea, especially in the West, that South Korean cinema goes to the saga of what is produced in the rest of the world. Due to its story, its originality, its staging and, above all, its ability to surprise the viewer, Jang's film speaks for itself about the quality of the cinema of that Asian nation.
This is a film that will keep the most demanding viewer of the action genre in suspense, but seeks other audiences by incorporating the LGBT+ component. This is a violent film with a brutal staging loaded with scenes that will remain fixed in our retinas as a warm memory for life.
This film not only succeeds in the genre but stands out. The opening fight scene is a classic, beautifully choreographed with wit and crazy fun.
'Man of High Heels' begins with a bang that sets the stage for what is to come and introduces the protagonist whose presence is equally explosive and heartbreaking.
The film challenges our perception and reveals discrimination, love and acceptance, as well as tears in our hearts.
If someone believes that everything has been said, add that it is a different film in its history but that manages to combine all the ingredients and resources of an authentic Korean gangster film, with action scenes from the first to the last scene.
This is one of Cha's best performances, one that you can't help but get emotionally invested in.
But there's even more: this is a drama that will make your heart pound and make you feel restless in your seat and you will even want to help the tough homicide detective eliminate the gangsters without suffering a scratch, save his loved ones and until it makes it easier for you to get to the operating room on time.
This is a layered, multidimensional film about a real person, with a real career and reputation, real friends and colleagues.
This is a film that invites the transgender community to be smarter about accepting serious attempts to tell a nuanced transgender story.
'Man of High Heels' manages to dismantle all the concepts regarding what masculinity is supposed to be from the first sequence, without separating the humor from the action – sometimes crazy, but always precise.
A film full of messages and symbolism in every shot under masterful direction, a noir film emerges in all its expressions, an exquisite and suggestive black humor to address taboo topics such as transsexuality, violence and death itself, in a humorous way.

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The struggle of LBGTQ+ people and the representation of stereotypes in Thai cinema (II)

'The Iron Ladies 2' ('Satree Lek 2') is the sequel to the surprising success of a gay volleyball team, having problems with their success and fame, and the way they reunite after breaking up, due to creative differences. .
Youngyooth Thongkonthun repeats as director, but in the script Sayombhu Mukdeeprom joins Jira Maligool, to take up the story while the members of the volleyball team made up of homosexuals, kathoey (transsexual people) and a cisgender, meet to participate in another tournament.
when the royal team competed and won the national championship in Thailand. The two main characters, Mon and Jung, play two gay transgender women, who are constantly overlooked by volleyball coaches because of their appearance.
However, when Bee takes the reins of a local team after changing coaches, the call is issued to try out for a new team. When Mon and Jung are selected, most of the former players quit, leaving the coach in a difficult situation.
Mon and Jung are then forced to enlist the help of other gay and transgender friends they used to play volleyball with in college. These new players include Wit, who has not told his fiancée that he is gay, Pia, a transgender dancer, and Nong, a gay army recruit. When the competition begins, all but one of the players on the team are gay or transgender.
Due to their appearance on the pitch, many of the match officials intend to exclude the team, soon dubbed "The Iron Ladies", from the tournament. However, seeing the popularity of the team among the crowd will soon change their minds.
In the film's closing credits, the real "The Iron Ladies" are shown as they were at the time of the film's making.
The cast includes Sujira Arunpipat, Kokkorn Benjathikoon, Anucha Chatkaew, Surapun Chawpaknam, Shiriohana Hongsopon, Hathairat Jaroenchaichana, Giorgio Maiocchi, Peter Maiocchi, Chaicharn Nimpulsawasdi, Jesdaporn Pholdee, Phomsit Sitthijamroenkhun, Sutthipong Sitthijamroenkhun, Sahaphap Tor , Aphichart Vongkavee.

Note: The review of the original film of 'The Iron Ladies' 2000 can be found, in MDL, on the page dedicated to this film on said platform.

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The struggle of LBGTQ+ people and the representation of stereotypes in Thai cinema (I)

'The Iron Ladies' ('Satree lek' - 2000) is a comedy-drama film written by Visuttchai Boonyakarnjawa and Jira Maligool.
Based on the true story of a Thai men's volleyball team competing in the 1996 national championship with a squad made up primarily of gays and kathoey (transgender people), the award-winning film explores the struggles that are still present in the Thai LGBTQ+ community through through comedy, despite Thailand's international image as a country open to gay and transgender people.
In the greatest of storytelling traditions, Youngyooth Thongkonthun's debut feature is a true fairy tale with a happy ending, and marked a milestone in LGBTQ+ representation in the media, resonating recognition from international film festivals like the Festival Toronto Film International and several others.
Set in 1996, two gay amateur volleyball players, Chai (Jesdaporn Pholdee) and Mon (Sahaphap Tor) seek to participate in a championship despite being discriminated against.
Mon, who becomes the leader of the team, was a very talented player who constantly failed to be selected for various teams because he was gay. Chai, Mon's best friend, also experienced the same treatment but was always optimistic about things.
Their chance comes when Coach Bee is selected to form a winning team and she announces that the team will be open for everyone to try out. But when he selects Chai and Mon to be part of the team, some of the homophobic players quit in protest.
Bee then asks Mon to find some of his friends to join the team. They select Nong, a gay army sergeant; Pia, the transsexual star of a cabaret show; and Wit, whose parents don't know that their only son is gay.
Written by Strand Releasing. 'The Iron Ladies stars Jesdaporn Pholdee, Sahaphap Tor, Ekachai Buranapanit, Giorgio Maiocchi, Chaicharn Nimpulsawasdi, Kokkorn Benjathikoon and Anucha Chatkaew.
Cinematography was handled by Jira Maligool and editing by Sunij Asavinikul.
Most of them are gay and kathoey, except for one cishet (cisgender and straight) man who struggles to be accepted into the team. All of them must find their inner strengths and come together to face these challenges and participate in the national championship.
Through humor, Thongkonthun touches on sensitive topics that would otherwise have been difficult to cover at the end of the last century and the beginning of this one. It was then the era of depicting homosexuals and transgenders in the media under the old-fashioned cliché of the comic friend or villain, which even today persists on Thai television, but The Iron Ladies reveals the depth of these generally superficial characters.
Based on stereotypical representations of homosexuals (very flamboyant, feminine, happy, fearless), the film uses clichés that were common in the 2000s and are still prevalent today, and takes the stereotypes, gives them depth and appropriates them.
The film stands out for reflecting the struggle of LBGTQ+ people: while the team faces various challenges, each member of the team represents, through their own story, a societal problem that the community faces.
The cast does not fail to make their characters relatable and real within their banal and limited representation, as they mimic the tropes surrounding the representation of LGBTQ+ people in the early 2000s.
Through silly or quick comments, the film's dialogue skillfully addresses the struggles and hurtful comments prevalent in society towards LGBTQ+ people. Through absurd but witty scenes, the characters reflect and talk about love interests, being loved as a transgender person, buying items at a market, making friends, participating in sports, and being discriminated against. All this wrapped in a background of comedy and extravagant shots with vibrant electro music.
'The Iron Ladies' manages to generate controversy and reflection among (inter)national audiences about the representation and behavior towards the LGBTQ+ community.
However, the film is a predictable and over-the-top cliché in every way. Is it worth our attention? Absolutely yes, as it is a piece of history and contextualizing it will give you another view of the stereotypical image of Thailand. However, be aware of the large amount of hyper-shouting.

Note: The review of the sequel to 'The Iron Ladies' 2003 can be found, in MDL, on the page dedicated to this film on said platform.

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Great human story, powerful performances and thought-provoking messages.

A large lake in a provincial city. A derailed train car at the bottom of a tunnel where two children, Mugino Minato (Kurokawa Souya) and Hoshikawa Yori (Hiiragi Hinata), play while mentioning the existence of a monster whose brain has been changed into that of a pig. An 11-year-old elementary school student who cannot get over the recent death of his father. A single mother who runs a laundry and loves her son more than anything. A close mother-son relationship. A teacher, Mr. Hori Michitoshi (Nagayama Eita), worried about his students. Childhood innocence at its best. A scandal involving low-life women in which the professor seems to be entangled. Small and large fires here and there. A school principal erratic in her actions and decisions after (causing?) the death of her grandson in a car accident. Professor's colleagues who appear to be hiding something. The teacher's girlfriend who has begun to doubt him...
Although it seemed like a typical fight between children, the residents and the media are dragged into a drama that unfolds when the main parties involved make contradictory statements.
These are the main elements with which the famous filmmaker Koreeda Hirokazu weaves in '怪物' ('Kaibutsu'/Monster'), a virtuoso and labyrinthine drama with the soul of a puzzle, a brilliant film with a great human story, powerful performances and messages that They invite reflection.
When Minato begins to behave strangely, Saori (Ando Sakura), his parent, senses that something is wrong. Discovering that the person responsible for all this is a teacher, he bursts into the school demanding to know what is happening. But as the story unfolds through the eyes of the mother, the teacher and the boy, the truth slowly comes to light.
With the same fluidity, forcefulness and narrative naturalness that characterizes the filmmaker's work, the film is worthy of being enjoyed by the auteur cinema audience, but it could even appeal to a broader audience due to its genre features, its complicated structural dynamics and the shocking message that the story contains.
The film allows us to immediately connect with personal dilemmas, existential conflicts, thematic areas and secondary characters that dance coherently around the protagonists and the main story.
The sound design, the original music (which I will return to at another time), the editing and photography by Ryûto Kondô, round out the script's discourse, making use of very interesting shots and high-flying staging solutions.
The viewer must be attentive, because the film, precise as an atomic clock and, therefore, prodigious in its virtuosity and perfection, has a misleading timeline and the selective revelation of information prevents the audience from knowing where events are heading. , because she hides her true intentions until the end.
With a defined structure, well thought out from its writing, 'Monster' promptly opens the conflicts and develops them throughout the entire plot. If something was adjusted along the way, it was that the two young protagonists did not lose much in the face of such an ensemble film.
The director tries at all times to ensure that his stories, his conflicts, do not diminish their prominence before a cast made up of established actors and actresses. That was perhaps the biggest rectification of the original script, which is not so much, if we take into account that there is too much love, too much knowledge and passion on the part of the screenwriter about the story he wanted to tell from the beginning. And the audiovisual interpretation of said story at the hands of Koreeda Hirokazu is coherent enough not to get lost in complacency or self-censorship.
Ingeniously designed, subtle and flexible, the filmmaker proposes a stimulating game to the viewer: if the truth seems clear at first, we will discover it little by little, through the points of view of the mother, the teacher and Minato, in that order. , that nothing is ever what it seems.
Skillful as always in awakening the public's empathy, Koreeda, back in his native Japan, invites us to a film that lives up to the plot intensity proposed in the script by the talented Yuji Sakamoto ('Soredemo, Ikite Yuku '('Still, Life Goes On').
In this fascinating journey from darkness to light, as it is done through the cracks left in the different points of view, we find narrative traps distributed in a well-balanced way everywhere, throughout the film story, so that In the end, the viewer becomes aware of what has happened before their eyes.
From the mother's perspective, we enter an atmosphere of suspense, fear, doubt and despair that keeps the viewer in suspense, while the filmmaker tells us Saori's concern about the anomalous behavior of her son, a fifth grade student in a local primary school, with evasive responses and no addressing of their concerns.
At the same time, he hears neighborhood gossip from his clients that points to his son's teacher being involved in a sexual scandal.
Alarmed, she searches for the causes of this strange behavior of her son that has plunged her into confusion, distrust and frustration. Masterfully, Koreeda involves us in Minato's strange antics, but at the same time leads us to feel terrified by Saori's helplessness. No matter how much he investigates and demands a convincing explanation from the school directors and teachers of what is happening, the less he understands Minato's problems.
In this interesting way of touching reality, Koreeda addresses, with depth and lucidity, school bullying, to which more and more layers of complexity are added and to which an easy solution is avoided.
The film, rich in hidden feelings, hidden frustrations and current conflicts, such as abuse in schools and previous trials, is told with great detail and care, and the late Ryuichi Sakamoto's gentle score adds an overall air of reflection and empathy, helping with the nuances rather than reloading the inks.
With a well-cared for story, full of hidden twists that are revealed with time and patience, it changes from the teacher's point of view. Mr. Hori has another version of reality. Perhaps because he is worried about his students, perhaps because he is present in every act of Minato and the rest of the students, he sees the protagonist's situation with other eyes and other nuances that are very different from how Saori perceives it.
Although this narrative arc is, in my opinion, less attractive because it tends, at times, to dramatize and moments in which naturalness is lost, its approach adds complexity to the narrative with a story that continues to be intricately crafted and therefore the use of profound comments on the teacher's ethics, the dynamics of power and the influence of the media in the formation of opinion matrices that can manipulate public opinion. Using clever metaphors to convey ideas keeps the audience's interest afloat.
Although in this new narrative strategy permeated with ambiguity, Koreeda has left intentional gaps in the first two revelations, in the third all the pieces fall into place, with a very moving emotional force, which allows, finally, to narrate the truth behind the Minato's behavior, but this only comes to light from the eyes of children, in that natural innocence and friendly complicity, which as a spirit moves the skeleton of the story: once it is detached from all its layers, it shows its true nature. nature and, in the end, it is nothing more than a beautiful story of friendship and teenage love.
It is then that we realize the poetic puzzle about childhood and its secrets, recreated with an exquisite sensitivity that has allowed Koreeda to show how difficult it is to understand the world of adolescents from the perspective of adults. As perspectives converge and conflicts close, a story of disturbing tenderness begins to emerge, about the way friendship, love, shame and rejection often live within ourselves. The way in which the viewer is led towards a deeper understanding of the characters, once again demonstrates the staunch humanism of the director.
Without being a romantic drama, the strongly suggested childhood infatuation attracts the attention of members of the LGBTQ+ community, who have seen the film as a gay drama by showing a danshoku or love between men.
And they do not sin in assuming it this way, because 'Monster' reflects on the pressure of fitting into the world, especially in the family; the doubts and insecurities inherent to self-discovery and acceptance; the anguish of rejecting sexual identity, the mental tension of hiding a secret, typical of homosexuals, especially in societies where there is still discrimination against the people who make up this human group, such as Japan, as it does not have laws that recognize marriage. homosexual. Many homosexuals will see themselves reflected in the struggles, internal and external, that the two young men go through.
This is a suggestive drama of undeniable lucidity, which combines refined ability in the use of cinematographic language with narrative solidity and intelligence when developing emotions. Its director does not skimp on feelings to give us a profound drama focused on self-acceptance, captured lyrically, to astutely examine childhood and its secrets.
The film provides a new combination of social themes and childhood that, although it is not at the level of the filmmaker's masterpieces, such as 'Nobody Knows' or 'Still Walking', does not falter like 'The Truth' or 'Broker'.
Honest, profound and hopeful, 'Monster' is one of the filmmaker's most ambitious works. Its biggest problem is that, in its desire to document the suffering of its characters, it ends up trapping the viewer in a crossfire of shocks that can make the less experienced lose the narrative thread.

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A story of great visual and auditory beauty, with great emotional depth

Won-Gyu (Won Tae-Hee), a German airline pilot, returns to South Korea after a two-year absence, but only intends to stay a single night. Victim of a homophobic attack some time ago that forces him to live abroad, a decision also motivated by his search for a place where his homosexual condition is more permissive and tolerant, he faces the judgment that the homophobic and conservative South Korean society has on homosexuality. .
The protagonist tries to outwit his nightmare by living in constant transit. His home is anonymous and ever-changing hotel rooms, his connections with others temporary and rootless, of little significance to his life.
In one of those typical, completely evasive encounters, he meets Tae-Joon (Lee Yi-Kyung – (학교 2013/ Hakkyo 2013/ School 2013), a young gay delivery man on a motorcycle, whom he meets through chat websites. Despite Being a few years younger and having a less rewarding and paying job, Tae-Joon is much more comfortable with himself, including his sexual preferences.
On this basis, Korean director Leesong Hee-il writes and directs 'Baekya' ('지난여름, 갑자기'/'White Night'), a 75-minute film that has as its predecessor the short film 'One Night', with which he develops the trilogy known as 'One Night, Two Days' (백야), which includes the medium-length film 'Suddenly Last Summer' (지난 여름, 갑자기/'Jinanyeoreum, gapjagi'), and 'Namjjokeuro Ganda' ('Going South' /남쪽으로 간다), all from 2012, in which three unconnected stories are told that have gay themes in common.
Leesong Hee-il has an extensive filmography since his film debut in 2004 with the short film '동백꽃' ('Dongbaegkkoch'/ 'Camellia Project'), but is probably best known for his 2006 film '후회하지 않아' ('Huhoehaji Anha '/'No Regret'). In 2009, the director contributes to the overall project 황금시대 (Hwang-geumsidae/Short! Short! Short!), and also makes the feature film 탈주 (Talju/Break Away, 2009), before filming the short that begins the trilogy, in 2012.
As in the rest of the three pieces, 'White Night' tells a story of great visual and auditory beauty, but perhaps most important is the emotional depth. The raw honesty of the film's narrative – centered on the often deeply problematic feelings of its characters, all asking difficult but very real questions – is commendable.
Another characteristic of Leesong Hee-il's cinematography is the use of music that accompanies the images in a memorable way, with songs ranging from Western popular music to Korean ballads, being chosen with great care in the purpose. to instill a sense of peace, insane frenzy, sadness, uprooting, loss, abandonment, nostalgia or even melancholy, in contrast to the inner turmoil experienced by the characters.
With a high degree of concision, achieved within extreme brevity and economy of language, as well as by the semantic ambiguity and the interpretative potentials that the film offers, Leesong Hee-il reflects how Taee-Joon does not seek sex for the sake of it and, although not opposed per se to a one-night stand, he harshly rejects Won-Gyu. The director's goal is to expose how people relentlessly pursue a more meaningful and lasting relationship than a sexual romp, like the one Won-Gyu intends to have in a dark public bathroom frequented only by casual lovers.
However, as the night is still young, and these two almost strange individuals continue to gravitate towards each other, in this journey about the complexity of human relationships, accepting the other, emotional pain more than physical, and criticism To a society that still considers homosexuality a perversion, Tae-Joon learns, little by little, about the painful burden that Won-Gyu carries, while the latter, perhaps for the first time, sees an individual who simply accepts himself as such. as he is while accepting the other as he is.
Knowing that perfectionism can destroy creation, so he polishes his works seeking exquisiteness, Leesong Hee-il shows how Won-Gyu's internal conflict comes to the fore through the external conflict that arises when he meets again with a boy who knows about the past, before deciding to try to erase what happened in foreign lands. This climax comes surprisingly early, not to the benefit of the narrative, considering that the film begins as a short film and, perhaps, could have done even better to remain that way.
Furthermore, some of Tae-Joon's actions, in particular his decision to stay by the side of someone he barely knows and who displays quite erratic and then also violent behavior, are not entirely understandable. Be it sexual attraction, sympathy, pity, or whatever reason pushes Tae-Joon to stay with Won-Gyu, her presence is what offers the latter the opportunity to heal his past wounds and realize that a different reality may be possible.
In other words, thanks to Tae-Joon, Won-Guy comes to understand that there may be hope, which is why it's worth returning to South Korea more than once every few years, for more than a single night... and even remain in the country indefinitely.
There is an incredible beauty in the suffocating, depressing, dark, and even demented atmosphere due to the ghosts of the past that haunt one of the two characters and the intertwining of the lives of these young people. Who will not be trapped with the souls that inhabit the film? Who will remain impassive in the face of characters embodied in beings that we have once known or could be ourselves?
The entire trilogy reveals to us a filmmaker with a sure pulse to capture the audience through the use of the right phrase and image, the clarity of the speech. No wonder he is considered "one of the most interesting contemporary gay Asian directors." And in this effort to create stories, reality opens up in a multicolored fan with overlapping layers and blurred borders.
The essence of the film, which had its European premiere at the 2013 Berlinale, followed by screenings in Vancouver, Hong Kong and Jeonju and at the 27th London Gay and Lesbian Film Festival that same year, also lies in the fact that Tae -Joon could very well be precisely the type of person that Won-Gyu needs in his life, like Kyung-Hoon himself needs Sang-Woo in 'Suddenly Last Summer'.
Open-ended like all parts of Leesong Hee-ill's trilogy, 'White Night' feels less gloomy than 'Suddenly Last Summer' and 'Going South', leaving the viewer with the possibility of a long journey towards happiness. still ahead for both characters.
We are facing a stinging film, which digs into the skin and the bones not only because of what it describes, but because we are certain that beings like the main characters are not so few in a world dominated by homophobia in a conservative society that makes It makes homosexuals feel ashamed, which often leads them to blame themselves for not being able to meet the imposed criteria of normality.

Note: The reviews of the remaining pieces of the trilogy, in MDL, can be found on the page dedicated by the virtual platform to each of them.

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Taboo and controversial topics in a piece of goldsmithing that every lover of good cinema should see

The Korean director Leesong Hee-il writes and directs 'Suddenly Last Summer' ('Jinanyeoreum, gapjagi'), from 2012, a 37-minute medium-length film, second part of the trilogy known as '' One Night and Two Days' (백야) that include the feature film 'Baekya' ('White Night') and the short film 'Namjjokeuro Ganda' ('Going South'), three unconnected stories that began as shorts but later expanded, in the case of the first, to a 75-minute film.
His vast work, like a piece of goldsmithing, armed with the finest craftsmanship, shows a filmmaker always attentive to the details, to the subtle articulations of the adventures, with which he won the applause of critics and spectators who, even after more than one decade since its release, they still look for in it the keys to unusual, totally original cinematography, which make Leesong Hee-il one of the most distinguished exponents of Korean auteur cinema in general, and gay-themed cinema in particular. both from his country and, I would dare to say, from all of Asia and much of the world.
Without forcing anything, the director of 'Suddenly Last Summer' plays with reality, stretches it as moldable material, and we end up accepting, without questioning, his invitation to accompany the protagonists on a journey about their sexuality, their relationship and their place. in society. The viewer must be attentive, since the medium-length film begins right in the middle of the story, so the beginning may seem confusing to some.
In that art of telling small things, small memories, small pleasures, small sensations..., which are not so much because, ultimately, together rejoicing, they give meaning to life itself, Leesong Hee-il, considered "one of the most interesting contemporary gay Asian directors", is a skilled filmmaker capable of captivating the most diverse audiences with the power of words and images, involving the audience, in a charming way, in his films, which are all about his favorite subject , gay stories in one form or another.
Leesong Hee-il once again touches on taboo and controversial topics in any modern society, such as homosexuality, the complexity of human relationships, the problematic situation of one lover who is a minor and the other an adult, or the teacher-student role. , and the feelings between people, which on many occasions can be inappropriate, immoral or even prohibited. However, in its subconscious development, it is not something for which individuals can be directly condemned, but those feelings must be acted upon when they are negative.
Another of the values ​​of 'Suddenly Last Summer' and the other two films that make up the trilogy is that its director places the protagonists at some intermediate point in the story, that is, their characters have begun to realize what what they feel, and now they must decide how to act. In the most difficult moment for those involved, when some will triumph while others will falter, it is the ideal moment for Leesong Hee-il to put on the camera lens and begin to tell the story, achieving, through his raw honesty, commendable and unforgettable stories. .
In the medium-length film, its director once again exposes a constant dichotomy in the relationships of his protagonists: one of his characters hides or completely denies his homosexuality, and the other is not afraid to recognize it and even enjoys shouting to the world about his gay status.
In just 37 minutes, the medium-length film raises several controversial points. It is not only the sexuality of the characters that focuses the attention of the audiovisual. Kyung-hoon hides his sexuality from everyone around him, especially the managers and teachers and students at the school where he works. Keeping his homosexuality a secret, his sexual preferences are discovered by Sang-woo, a student of his, when they both meet in a gay bar some time ago.
In a kind of obsession with his teacher, Sang-woo threatens him to reveal everything if he does not agree to his demands, and shows him some photographs captured clandestinely during the meeting held by the two at the gay club.
Fearing that he will lose his job, Kyung-Hoo agrees to spend the day with him. However, the tension between the characters doesn't seem to be related only to Sang-woo's blackmail tactics. While it is evident that Sang-woo is not motivated by a sexual impulse, since he loves his teacher, the entire film suggests that the teacher has feelings for his student.
Sincere about his sexual orientation and love for his teacher, he will claim that he had revealed to his mother that he liked boys, as well as his love for an older man, but Kyung-Hoo's reactions are ambiguous and not transparent.
There is an uncomfortable polarity within the two characters. Due to his youth, Sang-woo is innocent and love and the freedom to be happy lead him to lose himself in a delirious frenzy that drives him to shout, excited, at the fish from the boat, or to act spontaneously and make Kyung-woo listen. Hoon his favorite music after placing the headphones over his ears. He feels transported to another world in which there is no control from society or discriminatory laws and family censorship and disapproval of their children's homosexuality.
The student believes he is invulnerable to what people will say, precisely in a country as conservative as Korea, with strong patriarchal and heteronormative traditions, where homosexuals have difficulty fitting into society and even in the 21st century, sexual diversity continues to be seen as a perversion and considered taboo. But despite his plenitude, Sang-woo is also immature and seemingly unaware of the implications of what he asks of his master.
This one, for his part, is wiser thanks to his age and experience. Kyuung-Hoon is caught between desire and responsibility, between longing and ethics, between good and evil. He is aware that a relationship of this type is not an option, but the hopelessness and unhappiness that surrounds him is evident. His face reveals deep loneliness. Drinking until you get drunk shows that you have found an escape from your sadness in alcohol. He understands that a romance like the one Sang-woo asks for, and he would like to reciprocate, would not have a good result for him. That's why you make the decision to not just deny your feelings to the person you like. She must hurt him again and again with the intention of taking him away from her forever. But the boy persists in his desire to maintain a loving relationship, not just a sexual one, with the teacher. This dilemma that Hyung-Hoon is struggling with causes him great anguish and regret. Sang-woo will not be able to understand why this man who is not afraid to give him furtive glances with a clear sexual connotation in the middle of the class, surrounded by other students, rejects him. He doesn't understand why that person with whom he spent pleasant moments in a gay club and who, like him, doesn't have a boyfriend that prevents him from formalizing a relationship, seems elusive to him.
The essence of 'Suddenly Last Summer' also lies in the fact that Sang-woo could be precisely the kind of person that Kyung-hoon needs in his life, just as Won-gyu himself needs Tae-jun in 'White Night'.
Although the fact that one is a minor and the other an adult, as well as the teacher/student relationship are socially and ethically problematic, the first problem would be irrelevant (at least if the parties involved considered it so) and would have a solution in a short term, taking into account that Sang-woo has less than twelve months left to reach 19 years of age, and with this, the legal age of sexual consent in South Korea. Leesong Hee-il voluntarily introduces this problem to play subtly and skillfully with the viewer by addressing such a complex issue, while pointing out that it can be overcome. No matter how difficult or incomprehensible their reality may be for others, the terrain where the two protagonists move is not perpetual: within a short time the young man would reach the age of adulthood and with this the hope for what each of them currently wants, but they can't specify.
Regarding his roles as a teacher-student, this problem also has an immediate solution, as we know that, through a phone call to a friend, Kyung-Hoon is desperately trying to find a job at another school.
Within the trilogy, 'Suddenly Last Summer' is the most successful film among the three. Its value also lies in the deeply uncomfortable and highly problematic questions it raises about homosexual relationships and society.
But its reach goes much further. Unlike another 'No Regret' (2006), another film by Leesong Hee-il, the focus of the medium-length film, as well as the other segments of 'One Night and Two Days', focuses exclusively on the characters' feelings, using simple narratives and many fewer twists than Leesong Hee-il's first feature film.

Note: The reviews of the remaining pieces of the trilogy, in MDL, can be found on the page dedicated by the virtual platform to each of them.

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The opportunity to correct the mistakes we have made in our lives

Without a doubt, 'Soon of Macho Dancer', 2021, (Original title 'Anak Ng Macho Dancer'), can be considered the legitimate heir to the film series started by 'Macho Dancer' (1988), in which rentboys confront to the sordid realities of poverty in the Philippines. In fact, its director, multi-award-winning filmmaker Joel C. Lamangan, stated that his film was the first authentic sequel to Lino Brocka's greatest global success.
This last film was followed by other films with high-voltage homosexual themes such as 'Midnight Dancers' (1994), 'Burlesk King' (1999), 'Twilight Dancers' (2006), all directed by the late Mel Chionglo, interested in continue exploring the world of dancers who pose in scanty clothing for the homosexual clientele of Filipino venues.
Let us not forget that Brocka first attempted to depict the underworld of male prostitution through a largely improvised sequence in 'Maynila: Sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag' (1975), most of which was removed after the author of the original novel opposed the invention.
Considering the defiance and frustration that Brocka expressed just before his unexpected sudden death, 'Soon of Macho Dancer' could very well be the film he would have made had he survived to the present and the current discontents in the Filipino population, not very different from those of his time. No greater award can be given to a Filipino filmmaker who claims to have made a work worthy of the highest aspirations of the director of 'Macho Dancer', and Lamangan's film turns out to be one of those rare cases.
Most of the characters in these films have in common that they are overwhelmed, defeated by the sad political and socioeconomic reality of the Philippines, which is why they will be forced to practice prostitution as a means of escape from misery, in addition to being driven to claim freedom. lost dignity, without ignoring the insularity of the situation of sex workers.
'Macho Dancer' paved the way to investigate the degeneration induced in the Filipino population in general, and the male population in particular, by the presence of US military bases that curtail national sovereignty while exercising a not-so-hidden political and economic power. but they abandoned those concerns once the main character leaves for Manila or another major city in the country.
Lamangan, who played the role of a rebellious queer lady in 'Macho Dancer', 33 years after its controversial premiere, gives 'Soon of Macho Dancer' the same perspective of a hellish underworld. In this film, the director continues the story through Pol's son, the protagonist of that film, also forced to enter the sordid world of prostitution, when the coronavirus begins to reveal itself as a pandemic.
This pessimistic vision of today, which, however, is not as dark, sordid and sensual as the original, revolves around the coming of age of Inno, a 19-year-old boy who, together with Karla (Elora Españo), his girlfriend, sells clothes online offering sensual dances in front of her mobile camera with the aim of motivating the client, she has to help her father Pol (Allan Paule), a retired stripper addicted to drugs. His dancing skill will be shown later in another gloomy and dark setting.
To get out of debt and pay bail for his father, who is frequently imprisoned for public scandals associated with drugs, Tere (Rosanna Roces), Inno's mother, forces him to work in a male strip club. Like any merchandise, he sells it to Mama Jimmy (Jim Pebanco), the owner of the establishment and retired macho dancer: "He dances well and has a good penis." Faced with Inno's resistance, he assures him: "Your penis will be very successful here." In another scene he instructs him: “Use your head. If you are offered the opportunity to choose between being supported by a gay pimp or a woman, be sure to choose the richer one.”
But just when Inno starts working, Tere, who had turned to prostitution to support the family after Pol's car accident, abandons her son and her husband. At the same time, the club's premises close due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Circumstances put pressure on Inno's life, and he finds himself in need of money like never before. The family dynamic has changed drastically, as the father demands cash to pay for the drugs. Faced with this reality, he breaks up with Karla, whom he considers a hindrance, and delves into the exercise of selling his body in order to survive.
In Club Mankind, Inno will meet Bambi (Jaclyn Jose), a former prostitute who organizes private parties to sexually satisfy the rich. Inno, as "fresh meat" placed on the sales platform, is invited by Bambi to join those parties, but at the first opportunity he fails to be chosen by Kyle (Ricky Guimera), the attractive 19-year-old boy in charge of choose the young man with whom you will have sex.
Although initially nauseated by the abject nature of his new sex work (as opposed to the dancing for the audience, male or female, or escorting that he used to do at Mankind), Inno manages to find some professional equanimity in selling his body, motivated by his father's deteriorating health, increasing financial pressures, and buoyed by the camaraderie of his fellow dancers.
"This place is a pit stop for you. But it's a happy stopover for those kids looking for a better life. I know it's what you want. But don't let your heart guide you. Reject anger. Use your head. That's it the only thing that will help you." With the advice of Mama Jimmy who transmits her experiences as a veteran macho dancer, very similar to those of Tere, Inno turns out to be more skillful than expected. He understands that it was not Kyle, who he would have to conquer in his quest for a better life, but Jun Mallari, the wealthy gay businessman hidden in the next room, who masturbates while watching his favorite sex toy on the cameras with the boy on duty.
In this way, the main character of this film that combines drama, thriller, prostitution and homosexuality, seduces Jun, attracted by the life full of comforts that it offers him, becoming his new sexual puppet and abandoning his father, without to know what awaits him in that world that has opened its terrifying doors to him. Feeling like owner and lord of the mansion he shares with Jun, he will soon want to escape from it and get away from hell.
It turns out that the additional challenges that await the narrative hero increase from this point, quickly and terrifyingly, without giving us time to catch our breath. The turning point occurs in a chain of events that begins with Pol's arrival at Jun's house to look for his son, and the plunge that the protagonist suffers into an underworld of drugs, violence, crimes and parties to which his Millionaire lover invites prostitute boys.
From the get-go, Kyle warns Inno to stay away from Jun before it's too late. But Inno, mistakenly believing that he is acting out of jealousy, turns a deaf ear and ends up entering a world even more violent than the one he was escaping from.
Throughout these dramatic changes, Lamangan ensures that we are aware of Inno's plight by maintaining unconditional empathy with the character he seeks to save at all costs.
The film shows a sordid and violent world, in which the main character will see his self-esteem gradually diminish, especially when a client asks a male dancer to do something he doesn't like. It is natural. The loss of dignity and virility due to the money he needs to survive marks his path. "My father was a whore. My mother was a prostitute on the streets. And I, another whore. We are a family of whores!", Inno confesses to Bambi, who has recognized in Pol the macho dancer with whom he interacted in last.
The film aims to open the viewer's eyes to the unbearable facts and circumstances of life. The protagonist himself makes it clear in an interview: "Not all of us are lucky enough to have the opportunities that are presented to us, so we do not have the right to fire or judge someone for their choices (…) I am not saying that these macho dancers They may be saints but they all fight for their lives and the lives of their loved ones. They all have a story that we must understand and respect. When you hear their stories, if people take the time to really listen to them, it will impact you a lot. Others have already arrived to the conclusion that your choice is easy."
"Soon the Macho Dancer" fully fulfills its purpose of making the public reflect and inviting them to controversy.
'Anak ng Macho Dancer' leaves me with some life lessons. Among these, the way in which Inno overcomes the consequences of his actions and choices that lead him to live a true hell stands out. He's not just fighting for his life. What Inno believes is right for the people he loves, he does it head-on. He knew that his choices are not good, and in the face of the consequences of the choice, there is a lesson to be learned. Mistakes and struggles, also triumphs, are an integral part of human life.
The viewer should keep in mind the film's message, summarized in Pol's words to Bamby: "We still have the opportunity to correct the mistakes we have made in our lives."
Even with less than ideal material, Lamangan is able to guarantee stellar performances. The filmmaker resorts to exposing, very accurately, a decidedly negative queer image seen before in his other films, such as Lockdown, in which the higher the position of the gay character rich in money, the more malevolent he turns out to be. However, this disturbing state of affairs should be seen as post-queer, rather than homophobic.
The rich characters possess what the citizens who live in poverty need, which allows the macho dancers to carry out pecuniary transactions with wealthy clients that they could never find outside this world of prostitution and lust.
The greatness of Inno's character lies in his status as a redeeming hero who, by saving himself, saves.

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A double switch to brighten our lives

This 2013 Filipino screwball satirical comedy film, starring Zanjoe Marudo and Cristine Reyes, tells the story of twins Brando and Brandy. Despite the physical similarity, both are very different from each other. While the first is heterosexual and has no ambitions in life, the other is a friendly gay who has a career plan.
Brandon is attracted to Erika, Brandy's best friend, but she breaks up with him after realizing that Brandon has no plans for the future.
The homophobic Brando cannot accept that his brother is gay, so he decides to distance himself from him and make his own life independently. To do this, he will plan to start a car repair business and become a mechanic. Brandy, for her part, sets out on her own path to try to make her dream come true.
Eight years later we see Brandy become a successful interior designer, while Brandon still struggles to make ends meet.
Based on real events, the plot delves into each person's journey along their respective paths. Everything seems to indicate that they will never unite again, until one day, their mother begs them to put aside their differences and reconcile. Moved by her mother's plea, Brandy goes out to find her brother to make peace, but suffers an unfortunate accident that leaves him in a coma.
While Brandy remains in the hospital, Brando learns that just before the accident occurred, his brother was putting the finishing touches on negotiating a multimillion-dollar design deal with a client.
Fearing that Brandy will lose the multimillion-dollar business, Brandy's two close friends convince Brando to pull a double switch and pose as his gay brother. Then he will make the second most important decision of his life: So Brando, the straight, homophobic, tough and sexist, becomes the gay Brandy!
This is where the fun begins with Brando juggling Brando and Brandy.
By usurping his gay brother's identity he will not only allow Brando to solve all of his financial problems. It comes with another surprise: It will also give him the chance to patch things up with Erika (Cristine Reyes), Brandy's good friend, who he's always been in love with!
But it doesn't all end here: pretending to be the gay twin will mean that while he tries to prevent a multimillion-dollar business from failing and, in the process, get the love of a girl, he will look at the person he has always hated with different eyes, and acquire a new appreciation for him. by living your life.
In this world gone crazy, with Brando taking on Brandy's cheerful personality, what real chance is there of life returning to normal for the twins? Will Brandy wake up in time, discover the switch her twin flipped, and save the situation?
With a script by Olivia M. Lamasan, Joel Mercado, Enrico C. Santos, Danno Kristoper Mariquit, Kriz G. Gazmen, Kathy Despa and Ays De Guzman, and direction by Wenn V. Deramas, the film features the now Filipino star Kokoy DeSantos will play the twins as teenagers, while Maliksi Morales will play the young Brando and Brandy, and finally Zanjoe Marudo will play the twins as adults.
Filled with comedic moments, 'Bromance: My Brother's Romance' is Skylight Films' first foray into the comedy genre. Even in serious situations, they look for hilarious and over-the-top reactions, which makes it fun to watch.
Zanjoe Marudo achieves a brilliant and natural performance by playing, interchangeably, Brando and Brandy in three different roles: gay man, straight man and straight man who pretends to be gay.

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The harsh reality of Thailand without makeup

This audiovisual product represents the harsh social, economic and political reality experienced by the Thai population. It talks about its problems and contexts, generally adverse, and becomes a reflection of that Asian country.
The film shows topics such as illegal immigration for political, religious, ethnic or sexual orientation reasons; political, administrative and police corruption; police violence and crime, physical elimination of activists and members of the LGBT+ community, border militarization, dysfunctional families, bisexuality, racism, racial discrimination, politically motivated murders, homosexuality, economic problems, prostitution, political activism, stripper , violation of Human Rights, phenomena all reflections of Thai society. I highly doubt that for one reason or another any member of Thai society escapes seeing themselves reflected on the screen.
And facing all these problems there is Sorn (Ud Awat Ratanapintha), a Burmese refugee who, with the hope of a better life, seeks refuge and forges a new identity as a sex worker in Thailand. The protagonist will end up involved in a client's risky plan that endangers his life and that of other people. The diversity of conflicts he faces, his psychological complexity and emotional evolution, add layers to the narrative and weave an intriguing web that keeps the viewer in suspense during its hour and 36 minutes of duration.
The artistic maturity of its main performer protects a remarkable wisdom forged through the experiences lived on the film set. His ability to convey emotions, in a genuine way, cements his position as a leading actor in the Thai film and television scene. Far from seeking grandiloquence, you immerse yourself in your characters with the simplicity that characterizes those who understand that true art lies in authenticity.
From her first appearance on the big screen with the feature film 'Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy' (2013) or as a girl with dramas such as 'Hormones 1' (2013) and 'Hormones 2', in 2014, to her participation in television productions such as 'Cat Radio TV Season 1 and 2', '#HATETAG' (2021), 'Bad Genius' (2022), 'Quarantine Stories' (2020), of which in addition to being an actor he is the director and screenwriter; or in the 2022 documentary JMJ: Lesson 25, in which you participate as an actor and director, you have shown how versatile and capable you are of connecting with the public.
With 'Doi Boy' it is not the first time that he has faced the challenge of playing a leading character. Also in the drama ThirTEEN Terrors (2014), and the special Project S Let's Say Goodbye, from 2018, he had already been placed in front of the responsibility of leading plots. However, taking on the lead role in a film like this involved new challenges, and for the actor, it was a crucial step in his career.
Pae Arak Amornsupasiri as Ji, and Aelm Bhumibhat Thavornsiri, who plays Wuth, are the other two main characters.
The way in which social criticism, border problems and issues related to sexual orientation and male prostitution are represented in the film is not coincidental. In his first work, the documentary 'Boundary' (2013), its director, Nontawat Numbenchapol, already addressed the reality of the local population on the border between Thailand and Cambodia never before recognized in Thai cinematography.
Interested in social issues, in his second documentary, 'By The River', he visualized the situation of the villagers of Klity affected by lead water contamination. With this documentary, for the first time a film of that nationality won the Special Mention at the Locarno International Film Festival.
'Doi Boy' is not the first film with which the filmmaker analyzes issues related to sexual or gender identity. With the hybrid docu-fiction #BKKY, from 2016, this renowned documentary filmmaker and cinematographer visualizes stories of 100 teenagers interviewed in Bangkok about their loves, their dreams, and their coming of age just after graduating from high school. With it, he won the Jury Prize for best feature film at Lesbisch Schwule Filmtage Hamburg, Germany.
Despite a solid premise and good performances and general direction, the film does not reach perfection because it is based on an underdeveloped script, with aspects that deserved further exploration.
Beyond its positive aspects, Doi Boy can be perfected, like any artistic creation. The absence of unique characters like Sorn, Ji and Wuth and the practically non-existent presence of stories like this in Thai and Asian cinematography in general could work in its favor. However, these same positive qualities cause the film to be undervalued by followers of the BL genre, but as a thriller and drama it works well.
'Doi Boy' is a forceful justification to talk about Thailand far beyond the false and illusory representation, both in cinema, television and other national media, of a country as a sexual paradise and freedoms for members of the LGBT+ community and the rest of its population, equally discriminated against for political, ethnic and racial reasons. The film is a reflection of what hurts millions of human beings both in that nation and in the world. That is why I am grateful that it does not have a made-up ending and shows reality as it is until its ultimate consequences: those gray areas of the existence of the Thais shown in 'Doi Boy' are not really reflected in the BL dramas from that region of the planet.

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Whirlwind of love and revenge on a tourist island

He works for a dolphin and sea lion show at Fantastic Ocean. He works at a karaoke bar on a beach on the Chinese island of Hainan, where they both live. He is a talented trainer of aquatic mammals. He succeeds in his traveling business, in part because he bears a striking resemblance to the late Chinese actor and singer Leslie Cheung. He waits for him with dinner ready and both of their underwear clean. He is a daring and handsome boy who also has sexual relations with women and walks around the beach, the streets and the house half-naked. He, in silence, awaits your return. He, drunk, comes home late after playing with other men. Both help in an illicit business, while committing petty robberies and other mischief, such as recovering their assets seized by the police.
Li Qi (Shen Shiyu) and Ren Yu (Zhao Bingrui) are two young men who live a wonderfully simple life as a couple. Happy, between the two of them they have built their own earthly paradise.
However, things change when an attractive young woman, Bai Ling (Yue Yue), comes into their lives and drastically shakes their reality. When the daughter of the illegal beach food vendor joins the two men, a three-way relationship seems possible. Li Qi shines around him. She shines around Ren Yu ('Marriage Proposal Say Yes!', 2013 and 'Love in Late Autumn, 2016'). In this classic love triangle, does the girl know about Qi and Ren Yu? Does he know they are a couple? The truth is that the three of them intend to test the limitations of their own sexuality.
The lovers now face difficult decisions because they want to explore their sexuality further and include Bai Ling ('A Woman', 2022; 'Mother in the Mist', 2021), in their relationship. At times, the loving trio disappears to become a secret couple again, but now between Bai Ling and Ren Yu. But the latter will not accept his proposal to be her boyfriend and live in a distant city. Could love for Li Qi be the reason for his rejection? Don't you want to enter an uncertain, but promising future? Why then does he kiss her and while they are living their idyll, the tragedy occurs that will shake the three of them to the depths of their being?
The film, which begins at the end, initially tells us how one of the main characters commits a heinous crime motivated by revenge and then goes to the roots of the conflict to expose the reasons that motivated the revenge.
Also skillful is the location of the plot in one of the tropical and paradisiacal beach areas of Hainan (in Chinese, 海南; pinyin, Hǎinán; literally, 'South Sea'), the smallest and southern province of the People's Republic of China. The site surprises by becoming another protagonist, the fourth, of the film. Its streets and shops show the wounds of the passage of successive typhoons that hit what is now the largest Special Economic Zone of the Asian giant.
Like an island from which you can only leave by air or sea, our protagonists will also find themselves unable to escape their own destiny. This is marked from the very title of the film. The main reason to chew Asian betel nut or areca nut is for its stimulating and slightly euphoric effects. The person who consumes it obtains a greater feeling of alertness, a sensation of heat throughout the body.
Subtle and masterful use of metaphor to mark the destruction of the paradise in which Li Qi and Ren Yu have lived with the interweaving of the Chinese tradition of consuming betel nuts with the risks to human health associated with the prolonged use of these seeds. , since this practice has led thousands of people to an early death.
Released in April 2017, the film, by Chinese director and screenwriter Hu Jia, won the China Stard Best Film Award 2018. It was also presented at the Berlin International Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival and Hong Kong International Film Festival, in its 2017 editions.
The yaoi genre romantic drama 'The Taste of Betel Nut' (槟榔血) depicts a story of revenge and young love, a story about the growing desire for intimacy between two men and a woman.
Very cleverly, Hu Jia makes unique decisions in writing the script and developing the plot of the film. The choice to include few dialogues does not discourage the viewer. On the contrary, it awakens in us an interest in discovering where the film story will take us. This way, the audience will be able to appreciate the images and focus more on the characters' actions.
The writer and director creates a fractured storyboard that unfolds like a puzzle: fundamental pieces are missing to finish the work. Together, he and the viewer, we will have the task of, as the footage rolls, compare the fragments we have with those intentionally omitted, in order to advance through the incomplete scenes that have kept us in the dark until we reach the light. and with this the understanding of the narrated events.
The ending is open. The viewer, once again behind the cameras, has several pieces of the puzzle in their hands. According to his wishes, only one of them may be the right one to complete the puzzle: on the terrace of his house, between sheets swinging in the air, Ren Yu, with obvious scars on his shaved head and with a slow, hesitant step, has been able come out of the coma and now turns his face and smiles at someone who approaches. Is it Li Qi who has been able to escape the fury of the bullies? Has Ren Yu waited for him during his years in prison for the crime committed? Is it just Ren Yu's imagination? Like Ren Yu, Li Qi has also died at the hands of the gang and they both meet again in another paradise, but this time heavenly?

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We are faced with a filmic gem:
Song Young Jun, 30 (Song Jae Ha) and Seo Joon Suk, 23 (Jo Hye Hoon) are a very happy gay couple despite living their love in secret. Both actors, who play their roles perfectly, are not afraid to show their naked torsos during the 65 minutes of the film and have explicit sex scenes, all achieved in an artistic way.
The young people decide to create a memory they never had in celebrating their 5th anniversary. They rent a room in a motel in Jongno (Seoul's popular gay neighborhood) to record their precious memory on a video camera.
Between a celebration cake, confidences, naked baths, sex and complicities, all in front of the camera in which they record themselves, the room is filled with the memories that unite them, like the day on the beach to which they promise. go back. Likewise, they vow to never change their love for each other.
However, there is a feeling in the air that today is going to be their last day.
On the one hand, the excellent performances, the control of the body and voice of the two actors to interpret the emotions, the direction, script and other technical elements of the film and, on the other, the viewer's refusal to accept the obvious, but All the signs of what will happen are cleverly shown: Joon Suk is reluctant to allow himself to be filmed from the first scene, the bathroom scene. He claims to be nervous, then worries that the video could be taken as pornography. Only your boyfriend's insistence will lead him to agree to participate in everything that will happen inside the room.
As Young Jun prepares to leave, Joon Suk is awake, but he pretends to sleep and doesn't want to say goodbye. It is evident that he knew in advance that the relationship would end, and of the existence of a prior agreement between the two that it would end in this way.
Young Jun will also ask “When did you hate me the most?”, to which Joon Suk will respond: “When you tell me 'we don't have a future', 'we should marry women' or 'the gay community in Korea hasn't changed'.” Young Jun will also confess that “there is a fantastic recording ready for you,” referring to the recorded video that he leaves for her to watch after he leaves.
In my opinion, not knowing how to appreciate the true emotions and feelings that the characters convey is the reason for the negative reviews and low ratings. The characters themselves, very subtly, are responsible for answering the reason why the film does not have an ending like the one we would like. The film makes a very intelligent, very subtle criticism of the discrimination that exists in South Korea against members of the LGBT+ community.
South Korea is a conservative country, with strong patriarchal and heteronormative traditions, where homosexuals have difficulty fitting into society. Coming out is still not welcomed in most conservative Korean families, who consider their children's homosexuality as something close to a crime.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in South Korea face legal challenges and discrimination not experienced by non-LGBT+ South Koreans. Same-sex sexual activity is legal, but Gay Marriage, Equal Marriage or Same-sex Marriage or other forms of legal partnership are not available to same-sex couples.
It's true: we would like a happy ending for the two young people, but reality prevailed. Young Jun leaves an envelope on the nightstand containing an invitation to his wedding to a woman. His destiny is decided by his family. Your destiny is determined by society. He doesn't have the strength to fight this and accepts not being happy and also making his boyfriend unhappy.
An ending, which would only be syrupy, melodramatic and unrealistic, perhaps bordering on the worst film productions, would have been for Young Jun to have rebelled against his family and society and not have abandoned his boyfriend. For a moment, before the end credits, I thought that they were not a couple, that Joon Suk was a prostitute (because of the envelope on the table I even speculated that it could be money) and they both pretended to be boyfriend and girlfriend for some reason. A happy ending, in this case, could be that the connection created between the two turns them into a couple. Young Jun would return to the room to confess to loving him and Joon Suk would claim that he also developed feelings for him during the hours they shared in the motel room.

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The perfect mildang: "The further I move away, the closer we get"

In the context of "tug-of-war" romantic relationships, in South Korea it is common to hear sentences like: "내 남자친구가 항상 나를 밀당하는 것 같아", which in English would be something like: "It seems that my boyfriend is always trying hard to be with me."
Is your crush acting cold one moment and hot the next? One minute does he pursue you and show his feelings, and the next, he suppresses his interest and distances himself?
It is precisely in these circumstances that Koreans use the phrase "acione Mildang." That is, this person is doing "mildang," a term used to describe someone's behavior when they intentionally create a "push and shove" dynamic with another person.
In the drama 'Boys Be Brave', directed by Lim Hyun Hee, the story revolves around the "mildang" of two couples who are stuck between confessing their feelings and holding back, portraying the cute and agonizing tug-of-war of unconfessed love.
We will see the story through the eyes of Jin Woo, a naive and insecure character with a perfectionist tendency who lives his life according to the plan he has drawn up. However, one day, she falls in love with Ki Sub, a determined and popular boy, owner of a relaxed and confident nature.
And this playful and daring push-pull dynamic begins when Jin Woo reveals that despite having a crush on Ki Sub, he's not her type at all.
The entrance of Jung Ki Sub (Nam Shi An) to Kim Jin Woo's (Kim Sung Hyun) apartment not only announces that the living room sofa will be occupied indefinitely by the visitor who was never invited, but also the beginning of a beautiful love story between two friends who have suddenly become roommates.
Despite being reluctant to share a roof, you will soon discover that this may be the ideal opportunity to be close to the person you love.
I find it interesting to see how between Jin Woo, a young perfectionist who dreams of having the perfect relationship with the perfect partner, so he even makes a checklist of the ideal lover, and Ki Sub, the type of person who can seem Just another attractive and popular guy who has to get what he wants, but is actually a gentle soul who wants to be loved, they manage to change for each other.
Likewise, I love how Ki Sub, who doesn't like complicated emotions and situations, so he often resorts to portraying a positive image, at first shows one-dimensional awkwardness, but as the story progresses, he learns to express his feelings. own emotions and find their identity.
The series allows us to see how the actions and emotions of the characters change, all thanks to an endless aegyo attack by Ki Sub against Jin Woo, which in turn brings fun and hilarious moments.
On the other hand, the narrative also explores the love relationship between Choi Balg-Eum (Jung Yeo Jun) and Ji In Ho (Ahn Se Min), who keep a secret from their high school days.
Adapted from Seok Young's webtoon "Roonmates," the LGBT+-themed youth romantic comedy showcases the unique images and charms of the main characters, each with distinct personalities. The free spirit Jung Ki Sub, the seemingly perfect Kim Jin Woo, the mysterious Ji In Ho with a hidden secret and the charming Choi Sunny will entertain the audience through a funny, charming but meaningful and touching drama as the four continually reflect: "Why doesn't the person who loves me confess to me?"
After the success of the acclaimed series 'Our Dating Sim', with which it won multiple awards at the "2023 Heavenly BL Awards", such as the "Grand Prize" and "Best Drama" sections, director Lim Hyun Hee teams up with music producer Hwang Sung Jin, known for producing popular songs like See Ya's "Lovely Sweet Heart" and Gummy's "We Should've Been Friends," to carry out this project that, in his own words, "captures so much eyes like ears." Because? Because stories like these not only entertain us, but also offer us valuable lessons and insights into life and human relationships.
With a solid plot and well-developed characters, the emerging writer Lee Sin Won manages to change conventions and break clichés, and delivers a narrative text on which the series is built, in which she gives substance to the conflicts and stories that intersect, Because the four boys are united by friendship.
I like Nam Shi An's performance in portraying a character who is popular and constantly receives love confessions from those around him. However, intrigued by Jin Woo, who likes him but has not confessed, he impulsively invades his house and begins living with him, determined to make him confess.
The viewer will love the character played by Kim Sung Hyun, a seemingly perfect and meticulous young man. However, her life begins to fall apart after her crush breaks into her apartment. Thanks to Ki Sub, Jin Woo discovers that he has been living a gray existence, without love and without dating experience.
Based on their friendly love-hate relationship, the romance between the two, which begins when the former literally knocks on the doors of the latter, will delight the public. He will be waiting for the moment when the bond between these young people crosses the thin and fragile line of friendship and gives way to love after a confession.
The film text explores how the empathy between Ki Sub and Jin Woo becomes the basis of a lasting romantic love, highlighting how the deepest relationships are often born from friendship.
On the other hand, Ji In Ho has not been able to forget the romantic relationship between him and Choi Sunny during high school. That is the reason why he abruptly returns from the United States where he is studying and introduces himself to Sunny, who rejects his advances. Undeterred, Ji In Ho asks her to go on three dates with him. We will soon learn the reason why Sunny decided three years ago to put things on the line, despite being in love. Could a true romance arise within the framework of these encounters?
Lastly, Jung Yeo Jun takes on the role of Choi Sunny, the extremely optimistic part-time worker. Choi Sunny, as brilliant as her name suggests, is a person who has also not been able to forget the boy she loves and whose memory she still keeps in her heart. His life is shaken when his friend shows up again.
The story of these two characters details how an event from the past tests the relationship of the two friends, but its resolution, which teaches us about forgiveness, understanding and personal growth, ends up strengthening the bond, demonstrating the resilience of friendship and How romantic love can arise from this.
As these young people navigate their feelings for each other and come to terms with their own hearts, a tender romance blossoms that will satisfy all of your BL needs.
Why do I recommend the series?:
- For its cast with its attractive visual effects and its visual chemistry.
- For being a fan of the webtoon on which it is based.
- For following the work of Lim Hyun Hee, who has captivated me since his previous drama, 'Our Dating Sim'.
- For the promise of combining stunning dramatic elements in the beloved original work and enhancing the immersive experience through a sophisticated visual style.
- For the guarantee of the entertainment factor.
- For bringing us credible and genuine characters, with human emotions and reactions that feel real and resonant.
- Because it allows me to follow the work of Ahn Se Min, an actor with a simple charisma and an air of mystery, who has caught my attention since his participation in 'Youth On The Road', 'The Red Sleeve', 'School 2021', among others dramatized. With his expressive eyes and pure appearance, I recommend following this actor.
- For the reappearance on screen of Kim Sung Hyen, a perfect boy who wins the hearts of fans with his unique charms. Those who have followed his artistic career will remember him for his roles in 'Love After School' (seasons 1 and 2), '100% Era', Hospital Playlist', 'Brain, Your Choice of Romance Season 2', and many other works that They leave a lasting impression on viewers, raising expectations about his future as a solid actor.
- For the possibility of reunion with rookie actor Nam Shi An who has gained a lot of attention for his attractive looks, outstanding physique, subtle sensuality and acting skills shown in KBS Joy's 'Love Naggers' and the web drama 'Woman Playbook', as well as the independent short film 'Mutation'.
- For having the possibility of seeing Jung Yeo Jun's work again, after discovering him in 'Like Flowers In Sand', 'Arthdal ​​Chronicles: The Sword of Aramun', 'Rookie Cops', among others, since this rookie actor has a distinctive and irresistible charm that captivates the hearts of viewers. With her imposing figure, I love her explosive chemistry with Ahn Se Min.
- Because the series exposes two stories of love and friendship that have the power to open doors to a world where emotional ties are intertwined with life lessons, leaving indelible marks on those who discover them.
- Because stories like these have the particularity of touching two of the purest and deepest feelings of human beings: romantic love and the selfless affection that characterizes true friendship. The mixture of these affects in a single narrative creates a rich and multidimensional film story that speaks directly to our hearts. That is, stories that weave love and friendship reflect the full spectrum of our emotions.
- Because it is a drama in which we will see our own triumphs and challenges in relationships reflected, which makes these stories so personal and moving.
- The conflicts represented are reflections of the complications of real life.
- Being able to witness the performances of four male actors, each with different and combined charms, taking on their first BL drama challenge.

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