Dear Ex (2018)

Acting on point. And ost on point as well.

I wanted to watch this movie for a good some time so, i gave it a try. It was really good. I liked the storyline, amazing cast, acting was insanely good. The music was also really good to hear! but this movie isnt all happy this and that. Its emotional as heck but ill say it was worth giving it a try! Everything was on point and done really well!

And my main question is, i wanna know if this was actually not considered a bl because i watched it for that. If its not then i will be upset about that. Because im trying to fill up my bl movie list :')♡ but oh well its totally fine i still liked the movie alot!

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Gay love sacrifice

As i am writing the review there are tears on my eyes . As i have seen thousands gay who haven't move on from their first love , some are called mistress, homebreaker in reality they come first , they stay first but in society only straight relationship is pure
I don't know who's wrong or right here ? The lover who lost his everything twice or a lover who choose normal life or a wife whose husband never loved her , her anger made her harmful for own baby and herself
But if you talk about who loved the most it's Jay . He came first in life but he still called mistress. He sacrifice the most at last he got his loved but that was just person without life . I am happy Xi accept him as step father because he deserves it . I am happy finally lian get help from therapy as she never wanted to accept that his husband never loved her from the start . I don't wanna judge Yuan because he did choose normal life because of society. He leave her because he wanted to spend his last time with his lover .

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Actually Quite Enjoyable

Pleasantly surprised. Didn't think I would like it so much. I only picked this up cause I was bored but it did not disappoint. It made me laugh, then it made me sad and it finally made me cry. I really liked the complexity of the characters. They are all flawed in their own way and as the plot progressed, they grew. I love how it explains things that it was so abrupt at the beginning leaving you with why did they did this and that. But after they showed the reason it makes your heart cry. Three characters who are broken because the loss of a loved one. They come together and help each other. I love how there is no bad guy in this show. Just flawed humans. You felt sympathy for every character. Truly a gem. Worth a watch.

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The Character Development

(Depending on how you read this, there might be spoilers)
I wished I had seen this sooner but it's always better to be late than never (which by the way, thank you youtube for putting the trailer on my recommendations haha)

This movie was amazing to watch. The character development was the biggest thing and it showed the reality of love. Not all of us have a choice to love a person. Now I definitely don't condone cheating or affairs but this movie gave me another perspective on that. I also don't want to use any euphemisms so I'll be really straightforward. Cheng Xi's dad never really fell in love with San Lian. I think he knew he was gay but because he lived in a time where it might've been considered taboo. He didn't want to accept himself; thinking if he marries and bears a child from a woman he'll be normal — which we see is not the case. He still ended up loving his, 'male lover' whom he already fell in love with before San Lian. Love has no boundaries and I'll keep saying that over and over again.
The character development was my favourite thing because they really took time for the characters' development despite only having so much time.
Cheng Xi becomes bolder and courageous into standing up from his overprotective mother and realizes that although someone the love may die, everyone has different ways of dealing with grief — he was confused with Jay who seemed to be happy but as you progress watching the movie, you'll see Jay zone out reminisce memories which mean his way of dealing with grief must be that of thinking he is still alive. He lives in his memories because that's the only way to 'access' Zheng Yuan; to live through already made memories.
Cheng Xi's mom, San Lian was the character I anticipated the most when it came to character development. She was one of those characters we hate but in the end, not only do we understand and even empathize with her feelings, she slowly starts to understand everything herself. I also want to mention, her feelings are very valid. She felt betrayed and used. Imagine if you marry someone only to find out that they only married you for the sake of being normal and you were available to them at the time. You fell in love yet in the end you realize it was unrequited. I'm sure Zheng Yuan loved her but his love for her didn't compare to Jay's.

This movie is really good for those who'd love to see another perspective on things. The story was steady and consistent and it wasn't cliche. It respectfully talked about love, cancer, death, cheating and manipulation and a lot of things that are sometimes romanticized. I don't personally remember and songs which is why I rated it so low. There were also plotholes that left unanswered question(s). Overall it was a nice wave of new perspectives. The acting is also very realistic. The actor who played Cheng Xi was amazing. He was maybe only around 14 when he acted but wow!!

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A masterpiece that needs more recognition!!!!!!!

Omygod. This movie has been on my list for so long but I've been putting it down for no reason and it's a huge mistake for this movie is indeed a masterpiece that needs more recognition and attention!!

STORY: This has to be the most unique and amazing storyline I've ever seen! It doesn't revolve around the sexuality or any queer related stuff but rather talks about the societal norms and struggles people experiences and are being put on because of the society and religious doctrines. I love the story so much for you've never seen any movie in this type of context and they executed it well.


ACTING/CAST: Amazing amazing cast tbh! What I also love about this film is that we literally watch 3 main characters and a bit of side characters but the exposure is all on those 3 main characters that made it more impactful as we go through their emotions and such. The actors were truly phenomenon, we'll feel their emotions and the build up of everything.

CINEMATOGRAPHY: This film is literally a moving painting. Every scenes and shots are wonderfully selected and the editing choice ?? so gooodd!!!!!

OVERALL: you should now watch it, not later not never, this has so much to give and I hate the fact that it doesn't get the attention it needs and deserves! This film will enable to make you feel human again with its emotions. A total worth of time.

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Such an intriguing story

This was really an amazing movie. It was off to what felt like a disheveled start and there was maybe too much narration by the son in the beginning, but the story really starts coming together beautifully. The acting was magnificent and how they conveyed the depth of every character was really intriguing. You go into it with so many presumptions about the different characters, as they all seem like awful people, but when as the story unravels, I began to gain so much sympathy for them. There was a particular scene with the mother speaking to the therapist that was so well delivered and from that point on I felt as though I was living in through the whole situation with them. My heart clenched up and a lump developed in my throat.

Admittedly, I was a bit put off by the idea of the story. A family is ruined by a queer relationship. Its a touchy subject and one that if done wrong can come off crude and homophobic, but the writer did an excellent job finding humanity in each and every character. It was strange at times and other times I just couldn’t figure out why someone would behave in such a way — but at no point did I think it didn’t feel real. I definitely recommend for anyone looking for an ostensibly comedic but realistically tragic and ultimately heartwarming film.

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A 'My Own Private Idaho' without a road trip

The plot of this film places us on the island of Taiwan, where a story is told through Chengxi Yuan (Joseph Huang), a 13-year-old student. He tells us how his father, Zheng Yuan (Spark Chen), who died 95 days earlier after battling cancer, had been having a homosexual relationship with the young actor and theater director Ah Jie (Roy Chiu), thus deceiving his mother San Lian (Ying-Xuan Hsieh), who is now angry because her husband had put his life insurance in the name of his lover, thus depriving the minor of financial benefit.
It is from then on that San Lian will demand the insurance money from Ah Jie, an attitude that will not please his son at all, who, being not only in mourning, but also trapped in the middle of a complicated legal battle between the two adults , she will run away from home and go live in the home of her father's lover so as not to see her, causing the displeasure of both her mother and the man in whose arms her father dies.
The rebellious teenager knew that his father was gay, but had no idea who he had left his mother for. Now he is drawn to the man's fickle nature and his relationship with his father. This event will force the mother to reevaluate her relationship with both of them.
While San Liam blames Ah Jie for not only taking her ex-husband's life insurance money but also ruining her marriage, in therapy and fed up with a mother he considers money-hungry and indifferent, Chengxi Yuan begins to spend more time with Jie in an effort to find out who the "bad guy" is in this situation.
In the young boy's eyes, his mother becomes "Liu San Lian 2.0", as Chengxi Yuan tells his therapist. Angry, demanding, authoritarian, and prone to drama, the teenager can no longer stand his mother's tricks (including throwing away his father's cards), prompting him to seek out Ah Jie, even if it is to threaten to jump from her. balcony.
During the course of the film, we will see flashbacks of the relationship between Ah Jie and Zheng Yuan, who was forced to marry a woman in order to be "normal", since we must not forget that homosexuality in Taiwan continues to be seen as taboo and indecorous, as occurs in other Asian countries, such as Japan, South Korea and Thailand, despite same-sex marriage being legal since 2019, the year after the film was released, which makes it 'Dear Ex' is even more timely, revolutionary and innovative.
We will also know what has happened to the insurance money, for which San Lian will be willing to do anything just to get it (and in part also Chengsi Yuan, since she needs it so that her mother can send her to study in California and thus lose her. of sight). In all of these, Jie has the same intentions, since he is bankrupt after putting his savings into making his lover's last days more bearable, as well as his professional work in the theater.
We will also learn the reason why Saint Liam is a loud and authoritarian mother and ex-wife. The subsequent scenes will show us how much pain he had to endure throughout his life. The actress does a good job of conveying emotions and feelings.
On the surface, Ah Jie is presented as a typical "husband thief" and is called a "fag" by San Lian on more than one occasion. For her part, she is seen as a bitter, authoritarian woman and a despised mother. But when we get to the end of the movie, their roles in Cheng Yuan's life become more focused, as does Chengxi Yuan's role in this triangle.
The doodles drawn by Chengxi Yuan that animate the screen add to the understanding of the story, obscuring and enhancing the live action images below. However, the film's campy qualities should not be taken as fatuous. It is a remarkably moving and compelling painting.
In this way, between the present narrated by Chengxi Yuan and the visions of the past, we will learn the true story of this love relationship, especially the period in which the lover becomes Zheng Yuan's caretaker as cancer devours his body. .
This complex, moving and timely Taiwanese story of pain, intolerance and family infighting, in its narrative arc about a journey of discovery for its three protagonists, in a society where LGBTQ rights are not as advanced as in North America and Europe, It reminds me of 'My Own Private Idaho', without the road trip.
'Dear Ex' feels like a coming-of-age film for its three leads, even though Ah Jie and San Lian are in their thirties. It's not that the trio of main characters end up as friends, drinking soju in a bar, but they all come to understand that they contributed to Cheng Yuan's life and why things happened the way they narrated. There are some leaps of faith in the film's editing, and much of it seems to be disguised by the teenager's voiceover.
This is the first feature film by Mag Hsu, a theater writer and director (she could not resist capturing it in images in the film), whose television scripts have been nominated for various awards throughout Asia. Among his most popular works are 'Mars', 'Silence' and 'In Time with You'. The film in question is co-directed by filmmaker Chih-Yen Hsu, known for being one of the most popular music video directors in Taiwan.
It is not a perfect film. Its Achilles heel lies in the fact that some viewers may find the pace of the film slow at various points, which can cause the plot to become diluted in some aspects. Additionally, the morals of 'Dear Ex' may be difficult for some people to understand.
Against it could also be that the film visually resembles a soap opera, and this is because the directors have extensive experience in television.
Still, it is worth noting that it is an important film made with love from the perspective of narration and interpretation. The splendid direction, photography, editing and editing allows this story to be shaped and guides the viewer in a masterful way.
As the film progresses, the story fractures, traveling back and forth in time as the three characters struggle to reach a point of reconciliation. The stereotypes of San Lian as a manipulative shrew and Jie as an opportunistic rogue fade away, leaving only the tenderness and sense of betrayal they both still feel toward the man they loved. Roles change, as do the characters' feelings for each other.
At times, the film threatens to descend into melodrama, but the attentive directors always knew how to right the course, balancing oversaturated flashbacks with a nuanced portrait of love that withstands both tests and time.
'Dear Ex' offers an interesting look at family relationships, with a bold narrative and bold direction. The film is full of well-developed characters and situations that force us to rethink the idea of ​​family in modern society.
From the comedy-drama, romance, homosexuality and theater genre, the viewer can see that it is not a very simple plot, showing us the social reality of Taiwan, to which is added a homosexual love relationship that is, possibly, one of the most beautiful , although also dramatic, that has never been made into a film.
All this, of course, had its recognition, since the film, after its premiere at the Far East Film Festival, held in the city of Udine, Italy, won the awards for Best Film Narrative, Best Leading Actor (Roy Chiu) , Best Leading Actress (Ying-Xuan Hsieh) and the Press Award at the 20th Taipei Film Awards, to which were added the victories of Best Leading Actress (Ying-Xuan Hsieh), Best Original Sound and Best Edited Film at the 55th Golden Horse Awards (along with five other nominations including Best Picture and Best Director). It also won the best director award at the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival.
If I had to summarize, I would say that 'Dear Ex' is an insightful look at the ways people process grief under difficult circumstances. It takes a few moments to explain the film's central problems, just as the story unfolds in a matter of minutes, while the filmmakers largely let their tight script and exceptional performers convey the characters' complex emotions and motivations. brilliantly.
But the film is more about the people than their problems. And the three characters who star in the film are imperfect and partial human beings, but each one contains emphatically sympathetic and credible traits.

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