So having heard a lot about this film being the Kickstarter of the BL craze that gripped Thailand and other countries and being a big BL fan myself I decided to give this a try and honestly I was glad I did coz I loved it...but we warned, this is not your typical BL story. Though the focus is on the romantic plot that develops between 2 boys who have known each other since a long time, the movie also delves into the subject of loss and family love. It realistically depicts the conclusion of the love between 2 people from the same gender which most of the times doesn't end happily in the face of societal and parental pressure but becomes a beautiful memory that is cherished for a lifetime. Mario's Character says in the movie "I can't be your boyfriend but that doesn't mean that I don't love you" which says a lot about the inner struggle faced by those who fall in love with someone from the same gender. The ending is bittersweet but beautiful and touching!!
Everyone from the cast does a brilliant job including Mario Maurer in his debut role but for me the scene stealer was Pchy as Mew. He gave such a nuanced performance as a boy who has a deep crush on his childhood friend who is also his inspiration to write love songs. His heartbreak is visible on his face when he is forbidden to have any contact with Tong and he does the heavy lifting of most of the emotional scenes of the movie effortlessly. Special mention to Ying, a character which should be an example for BL writers on how to write non toxic female characters.
The OST and the background score really added to the depth of the movie, specially the song sung by Mew for Tong, which perfectly captures the essence of first love!!
I will recommend this one to anyone looking for a coming of age movie with a very realistic and bittersweet story!!
N.B :- For a film made 14 years ago, it has a surprisingly good kiss between the main leads which is way better than the kisses we see in a lot of BLs in the current times