A heartbreaking piece

This is one of those movies that keeps you thinking about them for days after watching. I went in expecting a coming of age LGBT story and was met with something unlike anything I had seen before.

Well, the first half of the film is beautiful, visually and plot wise. Ohm and Nont did an amazing job portraying the innocent blooming love between Dew and Phop, in a way that it's impossible not to get attached to the characters. So, even when you know things are about to go downhill, you still hope for them to run away together and find their happy ending, only to be met with the harsh reality of things.

The second half almost lost me, not gonna lie. I felt like the change in tone was too abrupt and I was too heartbroken to continue, but I'm glad I ended up giving it a chance! Even though the age gap was uncomfortable, once I realized Phop never showed any sexual or romantic interest in Liu and only saw her as Dew, I could enjoy the magic of Phop and Dew's reunion. Does that mean I think this part was perfect?? No, absolutely not. The message that love goes beyond time and everything could have been conveyed in a different manner. But, working with what we got, watching them finally see each other again not as Liu and adult Phop, but as the two boys that fell in love in their teenage years made my heartache.

About the ending, I still can't decided whether it was sad or happy. All I know is that Dew and Phop deserved better. And that by the time the credits started rolling, I was left in a state of shock, crying buckets.

Since I'm a sucker for drama and romance, I did enjoy this film and would recommend it to someone considering to give it a try. I also plan to rewatch it someday, if the sole memory of Dew and Phop ever stops giving me the urge to cry.

In general, the actors definitely deserve recognition for their brilliant performances, specially Ohm and Nont. I hope to see them together again in another project one day!

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