Lan Yu
More interesting for sociological than artistic reasons, this latest effort from Hong Kong-based director Stanley Kwan (his first film to receive a U.S. theatrical release) depicts a romantic relationship between two Chinese men over the course of a decade.
Based on a novel anonymously posted on the Internet, "Lan Yu" was filmed in China without the permission of authorities, who no doubt would have been less than willing to permit the filming of a script which included frontal male nudity, sexually explicit dialogue and references to Tiananmen Square and corrupt businessmen. The film, which has been widely exhibited on the festival circuit, is currently playing an exclusive theatrical engagement at New York's Quad Cinema, to be followed by a national rollout.
The title character (Liu Ye) is a young man from the country, newly arrived in Beijing to study architecture.
Desperately short of money, he is persuaded to prostitute himself and soon finds himself in bed with a well-heeled, closeted businessman, Handong (Jun Hu).
Lan Yu falls in love with the older man, who always keeps him at an emotional distance, plying him with expensive gifts and paying his expenses even while sleeping with other men and ultimately marrying a woman. As the years pass, the shifting tides of the relationship are depicted in low-key melodramatic fashion; Handong eventually comes to realize the depth of his love for Lan Yu, but a cruel twist of fate prevents a happy ending.
While it is welcome to see a Chinese film depict a homosexual relationship in a mature and frank fashion, "Lan Yu" never catches dramatic fire, because of Kwan's overly restrained and solemn approach, a meandering and sometimes confusing script and the underwhelming performances from its lead actors. While it would no doubt be sensational on its home turf -- the film has been shown in China via underground screenings -- here the overly familiar themes and plotting, which wouldn't have been out of place in a Douglas Sirk movie, are old hat.
LAN YU
Strand Releasing
Yongning Creation Workshop
Credits:
Director: Stanley Kwan
Screenwriter: Jimmy Ngai
Executive producer: Jian Qin
Producer: Yongning Zhang
Cinematographer: Tao Yang
Editor: William Chang
Production designer: William Chang
Music: Yadong Zhang
Cast:
Chen Handong: Jun Hu
Lan Yu: Liu Ye
Jingping: Su Jin
Liu Zheng: Li Huatong
Yongdong: Fang Lu
Running time -- 86 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Based on a novel anonymously posted on the Internet, "Lan Yu" was filmed in China without the permission of authorities, who no doubt would have been less than willing to permit the filming of a script which included frontal male nudity, sexually explicit dialogue and references to Tiananmen Square and corrupt businessmen. The film, which has been widely exhibited on the festival circuit, is currently playing an exclusive theatrical engagement at New York's Quad Cinema, to be followed by a national rollout.
The title character (Liu Ye) is a young man from the country, newly arrived in Beijing to study architecture.
Desperately short of money, he is persuaded to prostitute himself and soon finds himself in bed with a well-heeled, closeted businessman, Handong (Jun Hu).
Lan Yu falls in love with the older man, who always keeps him at an emotional distance, plying him with expensive gifts and paying his expenses even while sleeping with other men and ultimately marrying a woman. As the years pass, the shifting tides of the relationship are depicted in low-key melodramatic fashion; Handong eventually comes to realize the depth of his love for Lan Yu, but a cruel twist of fate prevents a happy ending.
While it is welcome to see a Chinese film depict a homosexual relationship in a mature and frank fashion, "Lan Yu" never catches dramatic fire, because of Kwan's overly restrained and solemn approach, a meandering and sometimes confusing script and the underwhelming performances from its lead actors. While it would no doubt be sensational on its home turf -- the film has been shown in China via underground screenings -- here the overly familiar themes and plotting, which wouldn't have been out of place in a Douglas Sirk movie, are old hat.
LAN YU
Strand Releasing
Yongning Creation Workshop
Credits:
Director: Stanley Kwan
Screenwriter: Jimmy Ngai
Executive producer: Jian Qin
Producer: Yongning Zhang
Cinematographer: Tao Yang
Editor: William Chang
Production designer: William Chang
Music: Yadong Zhang
Cast:
Chen Handong: Jun Hu
Lan Yu: Liu Ye
Jingping: Su Jin
Liu Zheng: Li Huatong
Yongdong: Fang Lu
Running time -- 86 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 7/30/2002
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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