Fridae

When Lan Yu first came out (pun unintended), it was screened at the Singapore International Film Festival. I was underaged (the film was restricted to under-21s). As such, I had to resort to the institution of DVD piracy to satisfy my cravings for what I beheld as the Gay Asian Film a la mode. I was single; the only companion my stash of cheap tissues that I intermittently applied to my tear-streaked face as I savoured the lovely moments of the film on the small screen, in the comforts of my living room, after my parents have long gone to sleep.

Fast forward to present time Wong-Kar-Wai-style, circa 2005: Lan Yu is finally enjoying a full-run in local cineplexes, like any other mainstream films in straight cinema. Quite a milestone in local cinema history and something to be celebrated as it was banned last year. Though I'm still single (in a way). Nevertheless, with or without a shoulder to bury my tears in this time round, I'm determined to proceed to the cinema armed with my ever reliable pack of tissues - if only just to catch, once again, a particular moment of full frontal flaccidity. Liu Ye, the Golden Horse Best Actor who played the role of Lan Yu with winsome candour, is an amazing talent. And I think "amazing" is more than apt a descriptive for this talented actor, if you get my meaning.

Those who are unfamiliar with the story of Lan Yu, here's how it goes: set in Beijing in the 1980s, wealthy business man Chen Handong (Hu Jun, who also played the sexy military officer in Everlasting Regret) meets country pumpkin university student Lan Yu (Liu Ye) one night at a gay pool hall, and gamely approaches the latter to solicit for one night's worth of services. Sugar Daddy meets Toy Boy and what appears to be a one-off sexual transaction evolves into something more emotionally intense that neither could have anticipated. A pretty straightforward film, the remainder of it charts the contours and cadence of their emotional journeys. Throw in the occasional infidelities, a few break-ups, a straight marriage, divorce and subsequent reconciliations, the film knows how to tug your heart at its most sentimental.

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Lan Yu is a love story. And when two beautiful people, which Liu Ye and Hu Jun are, get paired up with each other you know you're either in for a fix or a ball of a time: though hot sex is almost a guaranteed, there are also the inevitable moments of discord and mutual antagonism. The plot of Lan Yu is predictable to the T but that is not a bad thing at all. And I'm not sure if "universal" would not be a more apt descriptive than "predictable." Adapted from the Internet novel Beijing Comrades, the story of Lan Yu will certainly make an impression in those who has ever truly loved, and who understands how easy it is to break someone else's heart and have yours broken at the very same time. As a fully certified bottom, graduating summa cum laude from the Backstage Ivy League of Internet dating, I suppose I can gainly attest to that�

The film is an emotional minefield rift with knee-shuddering moments of tenderness and intimacy, such as the shower scene in which Handong is shampooing Lan Yu in the bathtub, or when Handong takes off his scarf to wrap it around a freezing Lan Yu on the winter streets of Beijing. My personal fave (don't ask me why) has to be the scene near the end of the film in which the couple is sharing a quiet moment in bed, pillow-taking about the size of each other's appendage. And inevitably, passionate lovemaking ensues� Oh someone please slap me!

Less trite than Bishonen, more dramatic than Formula Seventeen, though not as equally cathartic as Happy Together (my perennial fave), Lan Yu is a satisfying gay romance. Its formulaic premise is redeemed by the efforts of a nifty production crew that includes editor / production designer William Chang and cinematographer Yang Tao. The film benefits much from its cut-to-the-chase narration and a broodingly romantic atmosphere. The two leads also share a very compelling chemistry: both were nominated for the Golden Horse Best Actor award for this film, and though the award eventually went to only on of them (Liu Ye), I think both are equally deserving of the accolade.

"When people get to know each other too well, inevitably they part." This was the warning Handong gave to Lan Yu at the beginning of their relationship. But me thinks such a warning will not apply to the audience of the film: by the end of the film, they will feel as if they have participated in the romance of the silver screen, and their memory of this transient exultation will not depart from them soon.

Watch this film and cry! Go with your boyfriend, date, ex or whatever. And after you've dried your tears, turn to look at the one sitting beside you, whose arm is slung across your back cupping you in, and (re-)consider, carefully: do I still want in?

I hope it won't take too long to know the answer.