Korean Title: 소년, 소년을 만나다 (Sonyeon, Sonyeon eul Man Na Da)

The Blatherings: This short film will be making its official debut into the theatrical world on November 20, 2008. Actually, this was introduced here way back in April with an interview from one of the stars in the film: Kim Hye Sung. Then last month, at the Pusan International Film Festival, the film made its “official” appearance there.

The film’s title explains the plot pretty obviously. Kim Hye Sung and Lee Hyung Jin play as two high school students who fall in love with each other. It’s considered “based on a true story”, and the film pretty much lacks one thing: dialogue. The director chose to film it in that manner because he wanted the actor’s facial expression and body language to tell the story. Whether or not this works, if it works, then kudos to the actors and the film makers for taking this angle. Actually, kudos to them for doing something like this. Korea needs to stop being so ultra-conservative!
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Tags: film, glbt, hangukuh, kim hye sung, lee hyung jin, pusan international film festival, romance, south korea

Thai Title: Rung tua thii paet khawng khwaam rak
International English Title: Rainbow Boys: The Movie
US DVD Title: Right by Me
Regarding the image to the left, the boys are listed as follow (from left to right) - Ek, Tat, and Nat.

Premise: Based off of Alex Sanchez’s young adult fiction, Rainbow Boys, which is about three high school boys who have their own love triangle going on, are coming of age with their transition into adulthood and their sexual orientations, and go through other difficult issues like parental abuse and homophobic abuse.

In this Thai film, it’s pretty much the same thing, except replace high school with college, and obviously replace the American setting with a very Thai one. Tat (Jackie) and Nat (Pimpong Isarasena na Ayudhya) are best friends and polar opposites from one another except for their sexual orientations. Nat’s effeminate and out of the closet while Tat’s more studious and not out of the closet, especially towards his parents. Nat likes Tat. Tat, however, likes the basketball star, Ek (Palat Ananwattanasiri), who is supposedly straight, with a girlfriend, but that’s all pretty much questioned when Tat and Nat sees Ek at a gathering for gay youth. Later, Tat tutors Ek in math, Tat comes out to his parents, Tat helps Ek through his sexual identity crisis, and Nat comes to his own terms with his own life.
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Tags: alex sanchez, film, glbt, jackie, palat ananwattanasiri, pimpong isarasena na ayudhya, romance, thai, thailand, united states

Shi qi sui de tian kong is the original title for this 2004 Taiwanese film. All I can say is that I think I prefer the English title because it’s much easier to remember. However, I think the title should be called Taming of the Playboy instead. Now I am wondering, though, which is easier to tame: a playboy or a shrew? However, that rhetorical question needs to be put on hold while I review this film. And by the way, it’s a gay film, so if it’s not your cup of tea, don’t click to read more.
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Tags: cantonese, comedy, duncan chow, film, glbt, mandarin, romance, taipei, taiwan, tony yang