Yellow Fever

I came across this short on Amazon, directly after watching an indie gay drama that had a lot of sound and fury and while it held my attention, ultimately it signified nothing.

This short and fun film, on the other hand, tackled its subject in a way that I found refreshing. The plot is entirely predictable, but we don't care. The dialog is quick and sharp and often very funny. And, as a Caucasian American gay man, an Anglophile Chinese-Brit gay character was something new for me, especially one who would never date another Chinese guy.

The up and down tone and pace of the film is just right, complementing the lead actor's ability to seamlessly morph from handsome to goofy with the slightest adjustment of his face. There are bits that are completely over the top, and bits that don't work. But it's a short film, and they're BITS. So you don't really mind.

It's a sweet little bit of fluff, and the slightly amateur quality gives this '98 film a quality of antiquity that to my mind adds to the pleasure.

This film is about a man of Chinese descent who usually loves Caucasians, falling in love with another man who is also of Chinese descent.

This film is fun and hilarious. It has got party scenes and drag scenes to lighten the film up, and it also has serious moments such as identity introspection. I really like the scene where the girl meditates with Monty, it really is hilarious.

I think this film also promotes positive attitudes and esteem in gay men of Chinese descent. "What's wrong with the Chinese?", the film asks. The colonial brainwashing really did make a lot of people feel inferior and made them lose their identity. This film serves as a note to be self affirmative in the gay Chinese community in London, just like the other film Raymond Yeung directed ,"Cut Sleeve Boys".