Sweet Boy (2016)

Sweet Boy is a drama that I have been waiting to see since the trailer was released. The cast looked pretty good and the trailer had enough tight swimsuits and crotch rubbing to keep me wanting more! It took almost a year for a subtitled version to finally surface and even though this movie started out strong, the end of this film just fell flat.

STORY:
The Good:
This film actually started really strong with a great steamy opening that slightly gave us what was promised in the trailer. The story follows the main character, Nack, who is in his last year of High School and on a  journey of sexual self-discovery after an eye-opening event at the start of the film. I actually really enjoyed the first half of the film and I must give praise to the director for his artistic approach. Shots where there was not much communication between characters used a lot of symbolism which gave each scene a bit more depth. It's nothing groundbreaking or thought provoking, but it does add weight to the very simple dialog. For example, Nack's character's religion is christian and so Toy (his love interest) gifts him a religious pendant to wear as a gift. It's these little things and the reasoning behind them that give the story layers. A lot of the films strength is used in the films imagery and the deeper meanings behind the characters actions (ie. a hug, a stare, giving a git). It reminds us how even in real life, the little things can mean so much more when you think about the intention behind them. The interactions between Nack and Toy are also adorable and sincere as you see them get to know each other and go on cute dates.

The Bad:
The second half of this film really falls flat as it feels like a plot that's been done many times before. It makes this film feel like a remake of another Thai BL movie called 'The Love Of Siam', and even though I loved that movie, this just seems like a rehash of that plot to a tee. I also find that this movie spoils itself when trying to be too symbolic with it's dialog and making setups for predictable endings. The weak and predictable conflict of the film comes off as lazy writing to me and really overshadows the beauty and depth of the first half of the film. It also left me confused as to the motivations of Toy's character and whether his character was trying to be friendly or romantic. It's this confusion that creates a conflict of it's own between the two main characters and it just doesn't make much sense.  There was also a huge lack of kissing scenes. I was just really confused at how the actors could rub crotches against each other and cuddle half-naked but not even give us a single smooch!

ACTING/CAST:
I actually thought the cast did an amazing Job with the script they were given and at giving these characters a great deal of personality with the minimal dialog they had to work with. Overall they were very convincing. My only complaint was the last scene between Nack and Toy by the pool. It just felt so dry and I wasn't feeling the emotions that the scene was supposed to convey. But I think that's mostly the script and directors fault more than the actors.

MUSIC:
The music was very nice and it fit the tone of the overall movie. I especially enjoyed the ending theme when the credits rolled up.

REWATCH VALUE:
Honestly I don't think this is an easy rewatch for me, unfortunately. The ending really put a damper on the whole movie and just negated all of the great things this film had to offer at the beginning. It was somewhat a disappointment

OVERALL:
This film had a great start with a lackluster ending. The cast did a great job in creating a believable, enthralling atmosphere and environment. The intimate scenes where nice, despite the lack of kissing scenes. I'd say this movie makes a good one time watch to fill the gap between seasons of other dramas. Other than that, I don't think this is a movie I will remember from years to come.

Read More

Plenty of students but no sweet boy's to be found.

At first, we were made to believe that Nack would get together with Petch. He then turned out to be an asshole. Petch just wanted some fun, meaning he wanted to try it with a guy when he already had a girlfriend. Then when Nack rejected him, he became so bitter and went for Pong instead. Pong was just a bully. I didn't get why he was so obsessed with bothering Nack.

Then we finally had some positivity incoming. Toy. He seemed to like Nack and gave a lot of mixed messages. Well, they weren't even mixed. He seemed like he was into Nack first, actually. But alas, he disappointed me. To me, it seemed like he couldn't accept that he liked Nack, or more so that Nack was a guy.

Nack's mother was terrible. Religion should not be something you use to be a hateful person. She was just homophobic. No excuses were necessary. As if your child being gay would be the end of the world, but you know, it was for Nack's happiness that she split them apart. Right?

The ending was just so disappointing. They made it seem like Nack was happy in the end. In reality, he had probably just learned to live with his unhappiness. They kept preaching that "Time heals everything" and such, which isn't always the case.

There were too many shots of young boy's crotches for comfort. It was weird.

Read More