Caleb and Wizz sit across the table from each other as their parents discuss plans for their future. From graduation to jobs and careers to marriage, the entire conversation unfolds with little to no say from the two boys. Their silence presents to us a core thematic concern of the narrative - the pressures of growing up in a household where your whole life is already mapped out for you in the name of love and concern.
However, the disconcerting aspect of this love is the potential of oppression and dysfunctionality it can acquire within an inherently flawed familial structure. The film explores it all vis-a-vis the lens of the East Asian experience in the US. It’s success lies in the attention to detail with which the same is engaged with, allowing it a universal relatability.
Within its many folds lies another complication, one about queer identities and the pressures of conforming, or face the dismissal, or worse, the wrath of a previously ‘loving’ family. The tonality and approach of the film is just right, even if a little under-explored. The team should surely continue their storytelling endeavors, sharing with the world more stories of the kind, stories that are defined not only by the uniqueness of voice, but also relevant social messaging.
Read LessHowever, the disconcerting aspect of this love is the potential of oppression and dysfunctionality it can acquire within an inherently flawed familial structure. The film explores it all vis-a-vis the lens of the East Asian experience in the US. It’s success lies in the attention to detail with which the same is engaged with, allowing it a universal relatability.
Within its many folds lies another complication, one about queer identities and the pressures of conforming, or face the dismissal, or worse, the wrath of a previously ‘loving’ family. The tonality and approach of the film is just right, even if a little under-explored. The team should surely continue their storytelling endeavors, sharing with the world more stories of the kind, stories that are defined not only by the uniqueness of voice, but also relevant social messaging.
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