*WARNING*: This review will contain spoilers. I relatively don't hold back when giving away spoilers. This is also rather lenghty.
So yeah, from the title, you can guess the ending. If a gay movie contains one of the above, they usually have either downer or bittersweet endings. It's kind of pattern I notice when watching this type of movie. Then again, it's because I don't watch much and when I decided to, well...
Back to the review. This movie is divided into three timelines in three different hotel rooms; One night before Jason and Ade's first football match in a team, five years after that, and another five-year skip. The first part is of course filled with interactions from the two boys which end with boundaries crossed with hints that Jason is attracted to Ade before the kiss. The point after this is where their path diverge. Jason go on to become famous football player living in luxury while Ade takes a plumber job. Both have ups and downs, which is revealed when they finally meet ten years later. Ade may not work within the field he had been dreaming of anymore, but he has a stable life. Jason may live in luxury, but he feels nothing but emptiness from a career that demands public image filled majorly with people who suck up to you because you're famous but talk crap behind your backs as demonstrated by the bellboy Harry which cost him his mental health, sense of self (in this case being honest about himself especially his sexuality) and by extension his chances to pursue the one he truly loves, not to mention a knee injury (which ironically may or may not be contributed by a humorous knee-hitting scene at the beginning of the second timeline) and scandals that sooner or later will force him to retire. Jason tries to "mend" his choice by inviting Ade over after years of not returning Ade's "pass." That, having a man who loves him, and Jason's not making a sincere-sounding attempt at trying to rekindle their relationship, cause Ade to unsurprisingly leaves Jason alone, thus making this film's conclusion another case of missing out on true love.
Being a chamber movie with timeskips, there are two possible justifications; This is a low-budget movie, and this is an adaptation from stage play, and it shows. The dialogue can be a bit pretentious for the lack of more appropriate term. The lack of fund prevents them to actually show life outside the hotel room like public's reaction toward their performance in the field which could enhance the basic premise they are trying to sell. As for the ending, one side of me want Ade to see that no matter how Jason has ignored him for years and how horrible he is when they meet again (insulting his ordinary life and failed football career), the alcohol, painkiller addiction, and insomnia clearly show that he needs help even as a friend. The movie could also use another timeskip to see Jason and Ade after this, especially Jason at the lowest point of his life to show how the lifestyle affect those involved, and how they will interact after seeing each other (but that means we wouldn't have been able to use a hotel room anymore if that had happened, right?). On the other hand, however, it is only logical for the movie to end that way.
Gripes with story aside, this is a relatively well-made. We are taking the brunt of reality check that that choices in your life in general have their consequences. In Jason's case, he chose to pursue his career despite his promise to help Ade, and as shown his life is in downward spiral as the movie progresses. During those transitions, Russell Tovey's acting as Jason, which is important in this type of movies especially when it revolves around his character, is very convincing and feels alive it becomes the biggest highlight of this film. Seeing that he reprises the role from its original 2014 play, this is not a surprise. He's also gay too so that's an added advantage.
Bottomline: The chamber and stageplay-adaptation nature of this movie makes the story progression a bit slow, expository, and tedious. The ending may not make most people in the target demographic happy. This movie is watchable nonetheless. I still wish the movie had ended in a more positive note. Now excuse me if I go watching movies with happier ending now.
So yeah, from the title, you can guess the ending. If a gay movie contains one of the above, they usually have either downer or bittersweet endings. It's kind of pattern I notice when watching this type of movie. Then again, it's because I don't watch much and when I decided to, well...
Back to the review. This movie is divided into three timelines in three different hotel rooms; One night before Jason and Ade's first football match in a team, five years after that, and another five-year skip. The first part is of course filled with interactions from the two boys which end with boundaries crossed with hints that Jason is attracted to Ade before the kiss. The point after this is where their path diverge. Jason go on to become famous football player living in luxury while Ade takes a plumber job. Both have ups and downs, which is revealed when they finally meet ten years later. Ade may not work within the field he had been dreaming of anymore, but he has a stable life. Jason may live in luxury, but he feels nothing but emptiness from a career that demands public image filled majorly with people who suck up to you because you're famous but talk crap behind your backs as demonstrated by the bellboy Harry which cost him his mental health, sense of self (in this case being honest about himself especially his sexuality) and by extension his chances to pursue the one he truly loves, not to mention a knee injury (which ironically may or may not be contributed by a humorous knee-hitting scene at the beginning of the second timeline) and scandals that sooner or later will force him to retire. Jason tries to "mend" his choice by inviting Ade over after years of not returning Ade's "pass." That, having a man who loves him, and Jason's not making a sincere-sounding attempt at trying to rekindle their relationship, cause Ade to unsurprisingly leaves Jason alone, thus making this film's conclusion another case of missing out on true love.
Being a chamber movie with timeskips, there are two possible justifications; This is a low-budget movie, and this is an adaptation from stage play, and it shows. The dialogue can be a bit pretentious for the lack of more appropriate term. The lack of fund prevents them to actually show life outside the hotel room like public's reaction toward their performance in the field which could enhance the basic premise they are trying to sell. As for the ending, one side of me want Ade to see that no matter how Jason has ignored him for years and how horrible he is when they meet again (insulting his ordinary life and failed football career), the alcohol, painkiller addiction, and insomnia clearly show that he needs help even as a friend. The movie could also use another timeskip to see Jason and Ade after this, especially Jason at the lowest point of his life to show how the lifestyle affect those involved, and how they will interact after seeing each other (but that means we wouldn't have been able to use a hotel room anymore if that had happened, right?). On the other hand, however, it is only logical for the movie to end that way.
Gripes with story aside, this is a relatively well-made. We are taking the brunt of reality check that that choices in your life in general have their consequences. In Jason's case, he chose to pursue his career despite his promise to help Ade, and as shown his life is in downward spiral as the movie progresses. During those transitions, Russell Tovey's acting as Jason, which is important in this type of movies especially when it revolves around his character, is very convincing and feels alive it becomes the biggest highlight of this film. Seeing that he reprises the role from its original 2014 play, this is not a surprise. He's also gay too so that's an added advantage.
Bottomline: The chamber and stageplay-adaptation nature of this movie makes the story progression a bit slow, expository, and tedious. The ending may not make most people in the target demographic happy. This movie is watchable nonetheless. I still wish the movie had ended in a more positive note. Now excuse me if I go watching movies with happier ending now.