Eternal Summer

my interpretation

before i watched this film, i decided to look up the reviews and overall were mixed. this film has its flaws. yet, i don’t considered a bad film. the story to me was about someone’s personal struggles over sexuality, love, lust, & confusion. Shane, one of the main leads, he seems to be confused about his sexuality. not only that, he is in conflict with his feelings between his girlfriend and his best friend. Jonathan, Shane’s best friend, is secretly in love with Shane. He is always there for Shane and can be seen to be very valuable to Shane. I believed Jonathan played such a vital role in Shane’s life that when Shane saw himself losing Jonathan, he realized hidden feelings. I think Shane genuinely loved his girlfriend and Jonathan. he was in a battle with himself. He seemed he couldn’t make up his mind and didn’t want to lose either. Obviously, his girlfriend and Jonathan had to bring Shane to his senses and make him choose. which is where i found the biggest flaw of this film, the ending !! we get no closure or dropped hint of what comes next. we are left with such vague ending.

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It was fine.

This was just fine.

The storyline felt really jumpy and confusing at some points, the transition between them being in high school and then being in college really through me off, I didn't really understand that that time passed. I mean I caught on eventually but it wasn't obvious. The was acting was all right, though I felt like the girl literally had no personality. I guess she really didn't need one she was there to cause conflict. The ending was not satisfying at all to me, I don't need them to love each other in the end, what I did need though was an explanation of why he slept with him. Like why would you play with your best friends heart like that?

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what even just happened

This film lacks any kind of cohesion. I was so confused about what I was so supposed to take away from this experience, this film did absolutely nothing and I genuinely don’t know what it was trying to tell me. Besides the plot, the passing of time was super weird, I’m not actually sure how long a period of time it takes place over. Also both Shane and Carrie were awful friends, going out with each other despite Carrie knowing that Jonathan, who she was supposed to be good friends with, was in love with Shane and Shane knowing that he and Carrie had dated in the past. Then Shane claims Jonathan to be his best friend and talks about how he never had anyone else, despite how terribly he treats him. I mean, the sex scene, literally why? It was so unnecessary and made no sense because ten minutes later Shane says they’re just friends, at least I’m assuming unless you’re my best friend in response to a love confession is a feelings conformation (can’t be sure with this film seeing as it seems just as confused about what story it’s trying to tell as I am). Also the scene where he randomly had sex with that older guy was weird too, it’s something I’ve seen in a couple LGBT films and I really need it to stop, it’s such a weird addition. Plus the book about trans people at the beginning? I don’t know what that was about because it had no relevance to the rest of the plot.
Overall the only saving grace is the visuals, it’s shot in an old analogue camera style that gives the film a really nice aesthetic and often has this green-ish lighting that adds tremendously to the vibe of the locations. Besides that it’s abrupt, nonsensical and contains a host of subpar acting.

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PAINFUL AF!!!!!

Typical story where you fall in love with your childhood friend, then when you grow up, a girl comes into the picture.

When I watched this, the only thing I thought was 'poor Jonathan'
He deserves better; not a 'friend' who had sex with him even when he's straight and had a gf. The girl's too, she's kinda annoying? Like, she tried to be kind - acting like a best friend, while she's supposed to stay back and let the men cleared things out (glad that in the end, she did it tho)

Anyway, Shane is an asshole. Maybe he's confused idk, but he didn't want to lose Jonathan as his best friend, and his girlfriend. Bruh, you can't have everything in this world. He's even making it worse by having sex with Jonathan then acted pitiful in the end. So, in conclusion: Shane is a red flag walking.

For Jonathan, I was hoping that he had a stronger character in the movie. Yes, love hurts, bae T.T I also felt bad at him because of his father demands for his future. If only Shane understood him better -.- but no, Shane only cared for Jonathan to watch his basketball so that he could act cool blablabla.

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A whole mess

First, the girl seriously pissed me off. She had many opportunities to come clean and admit what she did was wrong but nope.

You knew he had feelings for his friend and you still went after said friend !!

Then Jonathan, oh my god! Instead of confessing to his friend he goes and hurts his feelings by telling him he was forced to be his friend.

Then there’s Shane suddenly kissing and sleeping with him 😑? That came out of nowhere like, there’s no explanation why he did that and even after that happened he didn’t even stop to ponder wether perhaps he has feelings for Jonathan or something.

Anyways, seriously, a whole mess.

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They waste so much water in this movie, it was actually painful to watch

I had desperately wanted to watch this movie for ages. I just couldn't get my hands on it. Finally, it turned out the VERY legal website I literally watch all the other East Asian shows on actually had it this whole time and I just never thought to search for it...go figure!
Anyways, when you wait to watch a movie for so long, the danger of being disappointed goes up exponentially. Thankfully, this was not the case with this movie. I have to say though, I did not expect it to turn out the way it did. Somehow, I had missed the fact that this is a queer story. I thought it was about two friends who fall for the same girl and then they go on a road trip?! It actually reminded me a lot of "Your Name Engraved Herein". Almost like that was made in response to this.
I don't know. I just enjoy moody movies with ambiguous secrets lingering unspoken in the air. This is the exact type of love triangle I love: All points connect, everyone is sabotaging each other, and they're all miserable by the end! That is that good sh*t!!!! Yes!
Nobody should be happy when they are actively working to make each other miserable like that! I still felt so sorry for our main character, Jonathan. It has been a minute since I watched a lead character who bore mistreatment so quietly. I know the other two were miserable, a great deal too but maybe when you're that cruel, you deserve to be miserable. Just a thought! Not Jonathan, though...he was there only for the abuse victim vibes.
The aesthetics of this movie are very nice, and overall, it looks amazing. The dubbing took out a little bit of its raw and unpolished indie aesthetic away but it wasn't a severe issue.
I saw a review of this that criticised the female actress' acting, and I am going to have to agree a little bit. I think she could have given us more emotional depth. But Ray Chang was amazing, and Joseph Chang (wait, they have the same last name...?!um...) was good. Still, the film has that indie style of movies where everything seems a little unnatural in the extreme attempt to be natural. Like, people hold silences for too long, and the gazes are too naked for how little they communicate.
I enjoyed it. In fact, I feel like going on an analysis tangent about it because I saw the comment section for the film, and it feels like most viewers are missing multiple key elements of the narrative. So I guess there is a lot that can be discussed.
I enjoyed it. It's not a romance or a comedy, so there is no satisfying payoff by the end. You won't get a happy ending wrapped in a bow. There are no concrete solutions at all. The characters don't reach catharsis or free themselves from their burdens. It's a slice of a messed-up life. You watch along, helpless as they swim through misery and then you stop getting a glimpse at them.
I think it's good but it's not for everyone.

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Realistic story

I discovered this in the trending list on Netflix and just watched this movie. This 2006 Taiwanese movie gives me "Your Name Engraved Herein" vibe. The three main casts portrayed their characters very well. I first saw Ray Chang in the "We Best Love" but he was much better here. This film is not the kind of lovely dovey film but it reflects how love in reality is complicated and mess up our lives when people are in love with someone whom they can't openly confess their love for some reasons. The story is good. Music supports the film and hits the emotions. One thing, they left the ending open. I wish they could make the ending a little bit longer.

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A mess and a half

Don't watch it please save your time 🙏
It felt like one of those old queer movies you watched when you're a kid bcs there's no other representation out there.
The story was all over the place, it felt really out of touch, it couldn't really portray the character's feelings like i had no idea what any of them were thinking of or feeling most of the movie.
I'm not gonna blame the girlie for anything bcs she was just in an awkward situation, she's a kid she can't control who she likes but i am gonna blame whoever made the movie, her character in the movie felt like a filler and the fact that she didn't add anything to the story and it felt like they just wanted to add a girl into the Mix to make it interesting.

And the book about the trans ppl at the beginning was so confusing???? And they didn't elaborate at all like looked at the movie description again bcs i rlly thought it was gonna be a trans rep moment

This movie was just a mess, after watching your heart engraved herein i wanted to watch another angst taiwanese movie but this is the least gay feeling gay movie they could've made, it felt like they knew nothing about gay dudes.

*Spoilers*
/////and when he slept with him at the end what even was that like you're rlly not gonna explain anything about that like he rlly likes the girlie and by the looks of it he only like him as a friend then why the hell would they add that, it felt like they just wanted to show them fucking like okay if it was a ploy thing for him and he was in love w both of them then okay they should've shown that better and if it was an internalized homophobia thing then they should've also explained that better!!
And my third theory is he knew he liked him so he was just doing that for him but idk you don't kiss yr bro passionately just bcs you don't wanna lose him.

And the older gay dude approaching the young gay dude to sleep w him after his heart got broken cliche
boohoo i wanted to claw my eyes out////

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GOOD FILM IN ITS ENTIRETY BUT….

Okay so..
This film was pretty chill to watch eventhough it actually challenged my feelings.
First, too much timelapses and things showed partially making us confused at some point.
For example (only one in a lot btw) :
Idk, I don’t understand why Jonathan stopped when they were about to have sex with Carrie, like I can’t he couldn’t but why ? He was sort of motivated smh so…
Then the characters :
- Carrie ! I know everyone is coming at her and I’m also in this case. I mean I loved her reaction when she understood Jonathan had feeling for his best friend like she didn’t go harsh on him and respected him. BUT girlie I can’t tolerate that you went for Shane after that (I know it was completely not planned, that she couldn’t help but still…) because you knew how Jonathan felt about him. Also because of those confusing timelapses I was talking about, we had her on screen ´grieving ´about the end of her relationship with jonathan and then after few times going to the basketball game of shane and her breaking down in front of him out of sorrow and then they got together. Like out of the blue. We didn’t get the background of them getting together except them kissing. And this scene also bothers me because Shane (yes shame on in him as well) initiated the kissing move while she was confiding to him and she answered back….

A little thing that had me confused as much as the timelapses was the transgender book’s apparition. Although I’m still pretty confused now about it I’m thinking maybe he was questioning wanting to be a girl to be able to date his best friend, I mean you know when people see others and are like ´ do I wanna be her or do I wanna be with…’ maybe he was questioning himself about wanting to be one of those girls around Shane or else.
But even this explanation (far-fetched I know lol ) still doesn’t explain fully the apparition of the transgender book instead of another queer book but maybe it was also the only knowledge they had back then in Taiwan about queer people idk tbh 😭

Also what the heck was the old dude who slept with a broken hearted Jonathan doing ?? He disgusts me like why would you go in the streets, sit down next to someone for no reason, seeing they are crying and still invite them over an hotel to litteraly f*ck them ?? This scene was as uncomfy as confusing to watch…

- SHANE ! Because why most are shaming only Carrie when Shane was also the problem in this ? I mean he didn’t know abt his bsf’s feelings BUT what he knew for sure is that Carie was his girlfriend…. I also ´forgive ´ him smh as I did for carrie because you can’t ´help ´ with feelings but still…
Then I think it’s pretth clear that he is in love with his best friend by the way he looks at him (anybody becomes transparent to him smh when jonathan is in his sight), he wants to be with him everytime (even when jonathan clearly wants some space 😭). I know I’ve also described typical best friends’ actions but he went further and don’t wanna realize his feelings for jonathan (I understand smh knowing how hard the times were back then especially in taiwan). I mean who would get down to their best friend like nothing ?? Also many things I didn’t like about this sex scene was :
* Jonathan didn’t seem to be consentent. He said multiple times ´no ´. I know he stopped talking at some point but still idk. It felt wrong like I felt uneasy…
* Shane it is cheating on carrie! Even if you did tell her right after (which is a good thing to do to begin with) it still is gross !
* The fact he played the blind at what happened even when he was the one initiating sex between him and jonathan… Like why didn’t you try to give him explanations ???

And the fact he decided to still stay stucked to his ´best friends ´ card after that is actually quite disappointing. I mean you had sex with him, he confessed but instead of giving explanations before rejecting him if you don’t have the strength to commit into queer relationships, you stucked with anecdotes of your childhood and took out once again the bsf card 💀.



To end, it was a good and pretty chill film to watch but a few things were actually confusing and/or annoying. No memorable OSTs but the cast and acting were fire !
The end had me confused a little bit but I understood it. A shoutout to the people who explained things especially the end further in the comments ! I love y’all sm 😭💜

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