Audiences who like to watch same-sex movies must know that the development of such films in Asia is short and slow, and the few good films make it difficult for fans to "climax".
In recent years, the only Chinese films that can compete with Europe and the United States are probably Taiwan's "Who Fell in Love with Him First", and the small-scale popular "Trish" and "Goodbye, Nanping Evening Clock" feel that the taste is a little worse.
Today I don't want to talk about Chinese same-sex movies, but I want to talk about India's "Love in Mumbai".
This 2015 movie has only been seen by more than 1,000 people on Douban, although it is only 7.2 points, but in my opinion, the story is a very realistic depiction of the feelings between the same sex, and the pain and sorrow behind a forbidden love, which is much better than many movie series that sell rotten eyeballs with same-sex gimmicks.
The story tells the story of the 48-hour weekend time between music agent Sashi and successful businessman Jay, the two are old friends and lovers, and the love between them is very heart-wrenching.
But in advance, Sahy already has a partner, Alex, who allows Sahy to love someone else in his heart, and Jay is married and lives in the United States.
Therefore, the story is not only about the sweetness and bitterness of love, but also about the pain and sorrow of the open relationship of these three men.
01
Let's look first at the bitterness of forbidden love.
Sahi loved bitterly.
Jay informs him in advance that he will come to Mumbai for a business trip on the weekend, and Sahi resolutely puts down his other half for this pleasant weekend and prepares to meet Jay.
Blackout afterglow ironing clothes, preparing Indian food that Jay has not eaten for a long time in advance, loading Jay's hiking shoes in a bag that cannot be loaded...
In front of his partner Alex, Sashi did not hide the importance he attached to this trip. Also make yourself look the best before getting off the bus, and sort out your clothes while anxiously waiting at the airport.
Ever since he met Jay, Sashi's eyes had never left him.
After all, Jie didn't belong only to Sashi.
Jay spends half of his business trips in videoconferencing, conference calls, and even Jay has a family where he has to take his wife's phone calls and listen to her complaints.
This trip was not as good as Sashi imagined, because Jay did not really belong to Sahi after all.
The word bitter love isn't just used for Sahi alone.
Jay's love is also bitter, he has achieved love within the scope of the economy, and love within the scope of ability, but it is not the kind of love that Sahi wants.
As a viewer, I was moved by this love.
Jay borrows a luxurious BMW for the not-so-wealthy Sashi, refuses to fall asleep on the way with jet lag, buys a guitar for Sahi, who has always had musical dreams, and climbs to the top of a deserted mountain for Sahi...
Jay's love is that I can't be there but want to do my best to be nice to you.
Sahi's love is that, for a short time, we love each other and accompany each other vigorously.
The bitter love of two people, in addition to the inability to really accompany each other in the legal sense, there are also differences between them, class differences and personality differences. In the movie, I saw countless small details of their love, but also saw the reality that they could not be together.
02
Most of the film is spent telling the story of the journey of Sahi and Jay, and many viewers naturally regard these two as protagonists.
And as the most neglected Alex in this open relationship, he actually has a very important role in this film -
He served as a lover who thoughtfully waited for you to turn back in the dark.
His bitter love also needs to be discovered.
At the beginning of the film, Alex appears as an unqualified partner, he forgets to pay the electricity bill, forgets to pass the gas, and almost ignites the destruction of the family that is not rich, and Sahi does not tolerate it.
So, Sashi packed his bags and spent the weekend with Jay seemed so reasonable in the first half of the story, and Sashi and Jay's love also seemed reasonable.
But just when the audience thinks so, the director focuses on Alex in the second half of the film.
At this dinner, he remained decent, ordered the most expensive wine, talked about the most boring topics, secretly mocked the world of money, told funny things that only he and Sahi knew, and tried to arouse the little jealousy in Jay's heart.
Until Jay's journey was coming to an end, he gave Sashi and Jay plenty of time to say goodbye to them gently.
Alex is relieved to "give his lover to someone", but after Sashi and Jay are separated, he thoughtfully returns to Sashi's side.
Alex didn't show such vanity, he didn't love red wine steaks, he only liked to eat potato chips and talk about life chores with his lover in a cramped car.
Perhaps many people can't understand Alex's behavior.
I even think that Alex's "bitter love" should not be, love is two people are happy with each other, not a threesome. But in my opinion, this is just love for someone to the extreme.
The story does not praise Alex, who seems to be a victim in this open relationship, nor does it make a big effort to praise the bitter love behavior of the three people, but it is plain and plain, just like all love, there are joys and bittersweets and sorrows.
From another point of view, compared with many secret betrayals and infidelities, is the love of the three people clearly placed on the table more beautiful?
03
The love in the movie is bitter, and the ending must be sad.
In 2015, "Love in Mumbai" came out, and in 2018, India only legalized homosexual behavior, and although same-sex behavior is not classified as illegal in this film, it also sees the sadness of this emotion everywhere.
Sahi took Jay's hand and walked along the hotel path, with a strange look in the eyes of passers-by; when Sahi took Jay's hand again, it was because in the high-end restaurant, Jay let go of Sahi's hand.
People who love each other cannot express their love and are subject to the whole society, and people who love each other hide their small emotions and dress up in front of society as if they are not themselves.
Jay, who pretended not to care in front of Sashi, was also startled by Sashi's sudden kiss during a meeting with his partner.
In Jay's heart, he was naturally afraid.
How many people dare to touch the bottom line of the law, especially people like Jie.
The emotions that have been backlogged for a long time eventually explode into results that neither person wants to see.
The end of the two people was also like the society of the time, and it was impossible.
48 hours after the weekend holiday, when Sahi sent Jay on board, Jay suspended the relationship in time, and Sahi was unwilling to let go, he hoped that the conflict never happened, is it bad to maintain this relationship.
However, the end of his life awaits him not as rich and handsome as far away in the United States, but alex, who accompanies Sashi.
Jay could only faint and remember the sweet kiss at the top of the mountain.
Because, their lives are going on,
Isn't it?
But the good thing
In 2018, homosexual sex in India is no longer illegal.
In 2019, Taiwan became the first region in Asia where gay marriage was legal.
The days ahead should be fine.
I sincerely hope that same-sex love will not end up with "I love you, but I'm sorry".