One good thing about the movie was the camera angles and shots. Clearly shot by an artisan, often the camera angle said more about the situation than the characters themselves. The actors are undoubtedly excellent as well, conveying much with their expressions and actions. Which was a good salvaging point for the movie, because the dialogue was often puzzling and stilted. Awkward silence dominated the film, or maybe that was a good thing, because such a situation is definitely awkward. The writing, in my opinion, could have been a lot better, especially given such an interesting concept.²

What would make this movie worth watching is also cultural contextualisation, to an extent. I liked seeing the villages, the girls and boys riding home in their bicycles through rice fields, to later transition into motorbikes through expressways, subtly indicating both westernisation and urbanisation of the culture, as well as indicating the coming of age of the characters. The directors also did a good job in building the setting for the film, not shying away from showing algae-coated walls and the bleak greyness of the modern homes, all which accentuates our understanding of the despair and frustration Jonathan has been feeling.

I rather thought the ending was frustrating and lame. It would have been awesome, and taboo-breaking, to let the characters end up in a m-nage-a-trois of sorts, since they are all clearly in love with each other. It need not be a happy ending, but this, in my opinion, is where it should be headed. However, I believe the writers were not courageous enough to go there, and hence we got a very lame, supposed-to-be-artistic kind of ending, which made me want to bash up something when I left the theatre.³

So should you watch the film? Even though I was marginally disappointed with it, I would still think it is worth watching, for all the love-lorn people out there who have been where Jonathan is. Really, who among us has not once been in love with our close/best friend? [Oh please, don't lie... don't think I didn't see that spark in your eyes when you were looking at her.]

Until the next time I have to get out my Kleenex box.

1. One problem I had with this movie is that it is not clear whether Shane loves Jonathan. His behaviour is rather schizophrenic, especially towards the ending. I thought it was a done deal when Shane made the first move and had sex with Jonathan. [The sex scene, by the way, was censored in a highly disconcerting way] Or maybe us not knowing is supposed to be the “artistic” point of the film. [back]
2. One point the writing stood out was when Shane was picked up by a random guy for sex. This, I thought, was very realistic and well-written, and may encompass the experiences of many a young person who is coming out [back]
3. What kind of ending is it, for Shane to declare that Jonathan is really your best friend when he confesses he is in love you, after you f***ed him the day before? [back]