蓝宇

蓝宇

The story of the film is rather melodramatic. What makes this movie special is the acting. The director does a wonderful job getting first class performances out of the two leading men. If the role of the poor young student was replaced by an actress, the film would have worked. LIU Ye, who plays the student LAN Yu, gives an understated, subtle performance. It just fits the character so well. The young student is supposed to be shy, reserved, innocent and loyal. As for the older business man, he is sophisticated, aggressive, ruthless, yet, loving in his way. HU Jun gives a memorable performance of this complicated man with such wide range of emotions. The audience gets to know him as a real person with flesh and blood. The relationship between these two men is just so natural. Some of the scenes and lines are quite awkward, but both of them manage to pull all these off in a very natural and convincing way. I have not seen a man portrayed in such a masculine way even when he is in love with another man for a long time. The casting is just brilliant. The masculine presence of CHEN Hang Dong makes the movie different from all the other movies featuring two men together. The only other movie in which both men look so good and so manly together is "Maurice". Believe me, we girls know a manly man when we see one. The film also has a great supporting cast. The wife is almost too perfect. She is beautiful and smart, has a great sense of humor. Oh she even speaks Russian. The loyalty of Hangdong's friend is worthy of Marquis of Posa. If "Ah! Je meurs" was used at the end of the movie instead of the corny song, it would be marvelously effective. After all, Verdi wrote this most beautiful song for a man to sing to another man. Last note, it is not surprising that the original internet novel is written by a female writer. The movie is about human relationship. It should appeal to a much broader audience.