citronellaa Reviews

Bad Romance (2011)

Low key but well done

[9/10 · 26 April 2015]

I was quite pleasantly surprised by this film. The storyline was not absolutely dazzling, but there were some novel touches. But the artistic and aesthetic quality of the filming - minus the opening scene which seemed a little amateur at first glance - was actually pretty high.

The main male character is sweet and affable, reasonably harmless and soft-hearted. He meets a new guy who was having trouble with his boyfriend, and they quickly become quite close as a result. However, it turns out he is not all he had hoped for. I found it interesting to see a glimpse of homosexual lifestyles in China. In the secondary storyline, a lady meets a new handsome man, but she seems to have a partner already.

As I stated earlier, there are some excellent shots of her apartment, her dancing. It reminded me of Amelie a bit, but not quite as artistic as Amelie. The sound recording was more amateur than the visual filming quality, too.

17 sui de tian kong (2004)

a film equivalent to pop music

[8/10 · 10 March 2015]

This is more like a film equivalent to 'pop' music. Quite happy go lucky, kinda cheesy. This isn't the usual thing I'd go for, but compared to the last two films I stumbled across which were more dark, I quite appreciate it

The main character is pretty cute and innocent, from a quiet part of the island, and he is exposed to some homosexual lifestyles and attitudes of his Taipei friends. The main character's friend is also kinda sweet. The plot is not dazzling/shockingly brilliant - it's quite simple, but it does mirror some challenges you'd find in reality

There is a really good shot when the two characters are on a bridge, with the colourful lights behind in a good geometric position. Other than that we don't see too much of Taipei, which I found a shame. But the film definitely is a good example of the more liberal attitudes and lifestyles of Taiwan - attitudes to homosexuality are not conservative there - which I already knew from photos of the gay pride in Taiwan, and from a Cosmopolitan/Vice article I saw about a Taiwanese charity who want to give handjobs to disabled people (seriously)

Hush! (2001)

Adorable, but also raw at times

[9/10 · 7 March 2015]

I've seen this film a few times. THere are some really sweet scenes between the two main characters, and showing how they know each other well. After I saw it the first time I was surprised when I realised how little physical intimacy there was throughout, but there is intimacy in smaller ways - such as sharing the umbrella, the ice cream part, the walking with the bicycle and the rice ball with the background music.

Yes, this is one of the more innocent films by this director, yet still having some horrible/crappy parts, as is his fashion - such as the lady who is stalked, and the guy who leaves at the beginning.

Given the subject matter - homosexual and surrogacy - I also think it was quite cutting edge for it's time, and shows Japan's willingness to embrace social change, whilst still outlining the attitudes of the older generations.

No Regret (2006)

strange. not wonderful, but OK

[6/10 · 7 March 2015]

Well this film outlines conservative culture in South Korea that I have heard of from a South Korean. Homosexuality is not widely accepted, men are expected to marry.

The film has a kind of strange and dark nature, at times. There is a death, almost a murder, and of course, prostitution. We see the desperation of a man who feels he is not worthy due to his lack of education, and simple rural background, fall into a prostitution ring for money.

A man from his previous non-prostitution workplace takes a liking for him, but eventually follows suit, giving into his parents demands - who he is financially dependent on - to marry a lady. I found this disappointing, as the two main characters were getting on well. But by the time he changes his mind, his lover already has other, very twisted plans, and is accompanied by an equally mentally troubled man to fulfill them. Thankfully at least, the plan is not completed.

Overall I found this film too dark a storyline, cold in behavior, and at times the acting seemed stunted, in ways.

Slight Fever of a 20-Year-Old (1993)

it was OK, but overall not particularly happy.

[5/10 · 5 March 2015]

Initially I had concerned expectations, having read the synopsis of this story. I feared it could be sleazy, or all wrong, but since I liked a couple of the director's other films, I thought I'd try it.

Thankfully, the main characters had more depth than I feared. We see the vulnerability and innocence of young males who've ended up in difficult and messy situations as a result of their potentially short-sighted choices, as they struggle with their genuine emotions.

What I didn't like is the way the storyline didn't properly explore the love interest of the two young males - there was real potential for something more beautiful there, but instead all there was, was tense kissing between them in the hotel room in front of a middle aged man who had hired them, shortly before one of them breaks down into tears... So kind of worrying and disappointing overall. Like - it's a shame, how things turned out for them, so I couldn't really like the film because of this. On the flip side, there is at least a little bit of hope at the end, as they walk home together, hopefully for new beginnings.

Gururi no koto (2008)

I don't feel amazed

[4/10 · 27 February 2015]

Unlike this director/writer's past work, which I have been a fan of, this film I found quite lacklustre. The characters and script, from the beginning, can be disappointing, shameless, crude, negative. The aesthetics are not fantastic - plain looking interiors of offices, restaurants.

There wasn't much of the magic tenderness I have seen in past films, more of the disappointing and flawed realities. I couldn't relate to the characters.

The storyline is not dazzlingly original, nor particularly happy.

Lacking something magic, lacking something beautiful.

The Accident (1999)

pleasantly surprised - unexpected depth

[8/10 · 19 February 2015]

I initially thought this film may be just about casual sex, and it somewhat is, but there is actually quite a bit of emotional charge underneath. The storyline is made up of three parts - two parts are about a heterosexual couple who are unable to meet each other at the station, and so spend a night apart, after already being in a global long distance relationship. The third part is about a homosexual kinship, that is unfortunately short lived, and this part of the storyline does not cross over with the other two. There are slightly Freudian parent-child relations in a few of the story lines.

Part one is about a man's train being delayed. He ends up in a hotel, and is easily led astray and seduced by a porn star. She is looking for something more long term, but after sex, he does not stay with her. At the end, there is a twist of the storyline, and he deeply regrets his decision ...

Part two is about the girlfriend of the man above. He isn't at the station to pick her up, and she is - albeit less easily - led astray in her state of vulnerability, and winds up meeting a man in a club. She eventually falls for him.

Part three is about a handsome taxi driver who picks up a handsome young man. Their relations, too, quickly become physically intimate, yet emotionally tender, too. Similarly, both are looking for something more, and discuss their lives and the future intimately, and want to see each other again. But, being from different parts of the country, feel divided and unfulfilled, and sadly part ways at the end.

The film is pretty aesthetically curious to me - seeing the streets of Hong Kong at night.

Happy Together (1997)

aesthetically curious, chaotic

[9/10 · 18 February 2015]

I was 1uite impressed with the aesthetic of this film - set in South America with all kinds of funky greens and oranges, and then a glimpse of Taiwan and Hong Kong at the end.

The film storyline is not massively unusual, but is curious nonetheless. It outlines his frustrations of his love for his boyfriend, underlining such issues as mistrust, uncertainty, longing, anger, affection. The main character is pretty handsome, with a ferocious temper for his boyfriend who knows how to set him off. They don't have much money between them, but there is a soulful approach with visual icons like the waterfall, the light house, and at times a certain tenderness. Towards the end they fall apart, but at least with the hopes of seeing each other again someday.

Speechless (2012)

Everything goes wrong

[6/10 · 17 February 2015]

The aesthetic of this film is quite lovely, in the Chinese rural areas, such as the Doctor's wooden and white room, and the nature.

However, from the beginning, the storyline is strange and difficult to follow. He appears seemingly from out of nowhere, and after watching the film I still do not know why. The ending is equally miserable, just miserable. A guy leaves his girlfriend for the main character - Luke - and she is very bitter about this, despite her being a relatively devout Christian on the surface. She massively overreacts, and as does he as a result. Then the main character essentially murders his boyfriend, and ends up in a psychiatric institution - maybe as a result of this? It really couldn't be more screwed up - everything goes wrong and it was just disappointing to see.

I propose that the storyline could have headed to Paris, maybe Luke having to escape the psychiatric ward. Maybe the bitter ex girlfriend could be hit by a bus after releasing the sex tape, whilst running after her ex boyfriend crying at the same time as him. Or perhaps she could attempt to take her own life after running away from him in tears after catching them together, but then she could survive, and her ex boyfriend could be there to support her and feeling terrible for what's happened until she wakes up. Or something like that. I don't mind bad issues happening, but I would have appreciated a more optimistic ending.

Like Grains of Sand (1995)

quaint, sweet, slow

[9/10 · 15 February 2015]

I was pleasantly surprised by this film, and the complexity of the main female character. her behaviour appears strange to others, and she does have some complexities. But overall she is deeply empathetic, and finds the shortcomings of others disappointing.

The scene where they hug and first kiss is very adorable, and I do wish the writer had given the gay one more of a story line where his very innocent affections were reciprocated, as I have been in a similar position of hopeless teenage heartache in the past, and probably many others have.

The aesthetic of the film is pretty 90s but still very tasteful I would say, overall - for example at the orange orchard, and after the counselling session next to the stairs with the light reflecting off the water. It can seem slow at times, but is ultimately quite a sweet look into high school life and it's confusions.

White Night (2012)

Subtle, can be confusing

[8/10 · 15 February 2015]

The film contains a variety of subtleties in emotion, and you need to follow the storyline carefully, as things are not spelt out clearly and obviously from the start- the main character is quite introverted and has difficulty explaining himself and opening up.

Initially I didn't like it, as I thought it was just about an empty one night stand. But after better understanding, and thinking about the film the next day, I began to relate to the main character and understand his shortcomings and initially confusing behaviour.

For example the script writer seems to imply that the main character is alone, because he says he has a partner who is age 35 in Germany, then at the end he tells a different person that he has a partner who is age 24 in Germany. And the way his vulnerability has left him with a kind of 'once bitten twice shy,' disposition towards people, and so struggles to show his inner conflicts and pain from the past events - he's quick to push the character with compassion for him away, until the end, when they develop a better kinship, and he stops doing so.