Great visuals with a choppy plot
Overall: So don't read the summary on gagaoolala as it gives away what is supposed to be a plot twist in this short film. I've noticed very similar weaknesses with m/m romance from Taiwan (i.e. Because Of You, Light, Innocence, Papa & Daddy) which try to cover too much plot and often have flashbacks/forwards that add to the choppiness. I wish Taiwanese writers/directors would learn from Strongberry in South Korea on how to put a cohesive/realistic story into a short run time (i.e. Some More, Step For You).Content Warnings: none
What I Liked
- acting
- production value
- the scenes of physical intimacy
Room For Improvement
- choppiness, starts with them yelling at one another, then a guy is in bed, then motorcycle riding, then basketball playing...like what is going on???
- for the basketball playing scene, how did they meet? The story should have started here and given some footing for the rest of the story.
- unrealistic responses/conversations, who doesn't ask what a person does for a job, it's one of the first things you ask someone. Also, if someone tells you not to do something don't they normally give a reason or wouldn't you ask what their reason is?
- how much time has passed, there isn't a sense of how long they've know each other, a few days, a few weeks?
- I didn't like the ending and think there could have been an honest conversation about the challenge/s of their relationship and how they want to proceed.
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Don't know what to measure in here.
Now that you've read the synopsis, there's nothing left for you to watch, except the intimate moments and the hot actors, haha. The 24 minutes story involves a college student and a man who meet in a basketball court and becomes affected to each other and end up in a relationship.Their life comes to a point where they're entirely each others but end up finding each other's biggest secret which is a big surprise to both of them and they can't help but continue on their paths. The end! Yes, that's how it ended without any explanation and now I seek the makers to come ahead and make us understand about the essence, please?
Even for a short run time, this thing felt very average for a Taiwanese BL because we have examples of good Taiwanese BL movies like "Dear Ex" , "Your Name Engraved Here-in" who are of very high quality.
Alike any Taiwanese feature movie, they put emphasis on cinematography and sound editing and shady representation of their lifestyles. These are few of the good points about it, along with the acting elements and intimate scenes which is plenty; too much for a 24min movie, like they were smooching each other every other moment. I mean I like sex scenes too (ugly laugh) but this short movie lacked screentime man.
The most meaningful thing was the symbolic representation of uniting a gold fish and a fighter fish.
Tbh, when the protest thingy poped up halfway after the story, I was kinda intrigued because this is an unique perspective in a bl or any love story I have seen but that again was wasted with the half-baked screenplay ending with lots of confusing questions. Xiang as an environmentalist was on one side and...... Won't spoil but I am disappointed to say that they could have done better with the context by making it an hour project.
Well, it's still watchable because of the acting elements and the exploding intimate scenes. So go for it because even if you don't like it, a 24mins piece won't hurt you.
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Sensual and Raw
This is an astonishing very short movie (24 minutes) that captures more in that short period of time than most other BLs do in 12 episodes. It is crisp, exact, intense, erotic, and has a clear message. There is no endless bantering to get to a story. It is there in your face almost immediately. It is not pretentious nor contrived. A major caveat is the stumbling block to a solid relationship. The acting is raw and genuine with a story that feels true and real.See my full review at BLBliss.com
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A great idea, but something was missing.
It was a good short production with a great story. I absolutely loved the metaphor at the end. However, the show didn't feel as flushed out as I would have liked. Not because of the open ending (which I think had a good purpose and significance), but rather their relationship development. If it was a matter of time that kept the producers from making this a longer series, then they could have cut some of the basketball scene at the beginning and added a segment where we see them talking about themselves at a table or something. Because the majority of their scenes made them seem like they were a casual fling, but the seriousness at the end didn't match up.Was this review helpful to you?
Excellent Short
DON'T read the synopsis on GagaOOlala - it spoils the story.This was really good - it's beautifully shot and edited, with fantastic color grading. The acting is good - the bigger guy is a stronger actor, but the cute one holds his own.
This is very narratively tight - the meaning of the strange opening scene becomes starkly apparent at the end - it's quite powerful. There is one plot hole which will almost certainly come to mind, which is "do people not ask each other what they do for a living?" I think this is somewhat plausible given how they meet and immediately launch into a fairly physical relationship, but the story appears to span at least be a few days so it's a bit odd, although I will say that I dated a guy for 2 years and he had no idea what I actually did - just that I had an office job.
Anyway, it doesn't really matter - this film isn't trying to be realistic, it's about perspectives.
This is NSFW - it's not graphic, but there's a lot of love going on. A lot of hot, sweaty love.
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Short movie
This was a bit of disappointment, as they was so hype of to this movie on and trailer looked really promising.So if you read the synopsis, there's nothing left for you to watch, except the intimate moments and the hot actors, The 24 minutes story involves a college student and a man who meet in a basketball court and becomes affected to each other and end up in a relationship.
I literally don't what else to say about this movie as the 24 minute short movie was literally all summed up in the above, so it left no imagination to the one watching it, or expecting anyting drastic to come out of it.
What I Liked
- acting
- production value
- the scenes of physical intimacy
What I did not Like
- choppiness, starts with them yelling at one another, then a guy is in bed, then motorcycle riding, then basketball playing...like what is going on???
- unrealistic responses/conversations, who doesn't ask what a person does for a job, it's one of the first things you ask someone. Also, if someone tells you not to do something don't they normally give a reason or wouldn't you ask what their reason is?
- the lack of communication between the two.
Overall - it's still watchable because of the acting elements and the exploding intimate scenes. So go for it because even if you don't like it, a 24mins piece won't hurt you.
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No consistency
Honestly, what a waste! The synopsis was promising even if it's a short film. Kisses and abs don't save a film with a mediocre plot. The screenwriter must have thought he was the Picasso of cinema and an abstract story could become iconic.I'd have liked to know a little more about the background of the characters. Why Xiang became a militant and why Vic considers himself weird. It would have given a little more meaning to their divergences. The dialogues don't make any sense, the bed scenes are useless for the most part and don't bring anything to the story.
On the plus side, the film isn't at all centred on their sexual orientation and this is a real breakthrough.
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For a short all I can say is WOW
For a short all I can say is WOW! Actually I said it like three or four times. Then a few times I said OMG how sweet. Very, very well done. Both actors were believable no awkwardness at all. The cinematography and the music were great! For me it's all about the messaging. No stereotypes here. A gay cop who's not a closeted weirdo. Very passionate and even hot scenes. See Wow's above statement. Of course saying I want to see more is a compliment but more is sometimes not always better but incase someone from the cast or production sees this it is nice to see. Only thing is I'm not sure about the end. Not sure if I really get what the producer wanted to say.Was this review helpful to you?
incredible use of time
i'm stunned at what they managed to portray in just 20 minutes. the characters were lovely and realistic, the dialogues hit, the chemistry was incredible (!!! the tension/release was palpable), the conflict was unique and semi-realistic. all of it was visually stunning, too. (plus, the fish allegory?????) i could totally see this being fleshed out for a miniseries. then again, they did say all they needed to in such a short amount of time. congrats to the cast and crew on this compelling piece of work.Was this review helpful to you?
AMAZING
THIS IS AN AMAZING SHORT FILM IT FELT LIKE A WHOLE BL IN 24 MINUTES ITS AMAZING AND DEFENTALLY WORTH THE WATCH AND TIME.THE ACTING WAS GOOD.
MY FAVORITE PART WAS THE LAST PART WHERE THEY FOUND EACH OTHER BUT ON OPPOSITE SIDES.
i would highly recommend this BL .
IDK WHAT ELSE TO WRITE BUT ITS 24 MINUTES LONG IT AND DONT EVEN FEEL LIKE 24 MINUTES IT FEELS SHORTER BUT IT WAS AMAZING.
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Opravdu velmi podařený snímek z Taiwanu. Ale tam už jsme si zvykli nejen na množství, ale i na kvalitu. Zaujalo mě zpracování i hudba. Sympatičtí herci si sáhli zřejmě na dno svých sil, neboť líbacích a polonahých scén tam bylo poměrně hodně na tak krátkou stopáž, a pokud jsou herci hetero, museli řádně zatnout zuby. Oceňuji a zařazuji si do skupiny kraťasů, které chci v budoucnu zhlédnout znova.
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I don't care what anyone says, I loved this.
This is a very short BL but it's very good. I'm not going to spoil anything for you guys but just know there is a lot of making out lol. The actors are beautiful and there acting is GREAT! You can seriously feel the chemistry, I feel like I'm invading their privacy because of how personal it feels (which is a good thing!). I've watched this about 6 times lol, mainly the kiss scenes haha, They're so passionate! I love how comfortable they are, I wish more BLs were like that. Some people might not like or understand the ending but honestly I was fine with it.Was this review helpful to you?