Llevo tu nombre grabado (2020)

Engrave Your Way Into My Heart

I had to watch this film. I just had to, even though I knew it would break my heart watching it. Which I was correct, but it's still worth watching!

So the film takes place once martial law has officially ended in Taiwan. However, that doesn't mean that there weren't lasting impacts from the martial law. As well as some people wanting to maintain that way of living. That was interesting to see. We get our main character Jia-Han and Birdy, whom are both equally enjoyable to watch. Those characters are really well represented in their youth and I gotta give props to the actors!

We get to see an lgbtq persons first sexual experiences and first time falling in love. There's a scene early on where Jia-Han mentions when him and Birdy are cracking food that it sounds like heartbeats. Right there I was like, oh boy he got it BAD! The chemistry between these two actors was so freaking solid. They made me laugh and smile seeing their interactions. Theres a scene in the film where they go in a screening room and that whole interaction was so wholesome and lovely. Perfectly shows youth and wanting to just maintain innocence in such a rough time.

There's a brief showing of a man advocating for equal rights and gay marriage. Stating "homosexuality is not a sickness" that broke my heart. He gets taken away and Birdy actually tries sticking up for him, which isn't the first time he's seen standing up for an lgbtq person. That didn't necessarily mean he was gay himself, however those moments had me start to think he was. Birdy says "fools rush in where angels fear to tread" clearly referencing himself and Jia-Han.

So where this film shines the most is actually in the scenes between Jia-Han and the father. Those scenes had me tearing up all throughout. Jia-Han is trying so desperately to explain that he has love in his heart for Birdy, not just lust. Asing "is your love bigger than the one I give?" and what the difference is. Even saying maybe he'll be more understood in hell. Those are where the film feels the realest in a sense. Once him and Birdy do end up having some type of physical intimacy, its done so in a way of validation. Jia-Han wasn't forcing his affections onto Birdy, they were already there as shown when Birdy kisses him and then cries. Love is shown in many ways, not just the physical. Even when Jia-Han tries to take the blame for Birdy's "love affair" on campus. That's love. Or admits in front of his parents that he's gay and "what's wrong with being queer?" Powerful stuff dude.

Random side note. I saw Chris Wu in this for literally a second and KNEW it was him lol. I would know the side of his face anywhere!!! Moving on, let's get into the non-plot stuff. The use of red and green in this film was really nice, very striking in some scenes. The scene with the openly gay student talking to Jia-Han was really well shot, especially with the stained glass dove mural behind them. Dove's are used quite a bit in this film, probably as both a symbolic symbol but also for peace. It also just so happens that Birdy jumps from the balcony right after that scene. Like a dove. There's great use of rack focus in many scenes that I loved. The orchestral music with the brass instruments pulls at the heartstrings. Also later on when Jia-Han runs away to the beach, he screams into the void and then ends up swimming naked in the ocean with Birdy. This was great because it doesn't end up in anything sexual. It's just pure and free, they kiss and that's it. Still maintaining the theme of love and lust are seperate, and sometimes go hand-in-hand.

So...the ending. I'm conflicted. The scene with Jia-Han and Birdy on the phone was fantastic. Really well done. However, any scene with the older actors got iffy for me. The acting wasn't as good overall at the end. It felt too displaced from the rest of the film. I appreciate having it show how far the world has come in current day, but it didn't need to be that long. Jia-Han and Birdy are kinda implied to be given a second chance, which is nice but its up to interpretation. I'd like to think they remain friends, because the romance has died off. Also having the father ending up being gay himself felt kinda stretching it. It was the whole cliche of "not wanting the same for another person what he went through" thought process. I believe this movie is the directors real life story, so I can't really say it was unbelievable if that's the case. However, film-wise it would've been better to just have him become accepting overall towards Jia-Han. Because all he really needed was acceptance.

Overall, such an important movie. It's the first lgbtq film to be screened in Taiwanese theatres. Gained so much money and acclaim. Things keep changing for the better and I as a queer person always appreciate and feel strongly about films released like this. They hit me deeply and I will always support them. Watch this film and spread the word! Love isn't just one type of way

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A CLASSIC AND MUST WATCH!

To begin with, Your Name Engraved Herein is not your typical BL movie that's aimed to please a Fujin. Within the first five minutes, one is bound to figure out the essence of the story and the direction it is going in. What hooked me on since the beginning is that 'essence' and anticipation of what might happen next.

I absolutely loved the setting of the plot and the movie is nothing short of a 'masterpiece' in my opinion. Starting from the storyline which is heart-wrenchingly beautiful and sadly serene, to the music and acting which perfectly complimented the poignance of the movie, towards the end, one would be left feeling melancholic but also fulfilled in a way that cannot be explained.

The main leads were bewitching and I cannot praise the cast enough!

Your Name Engraved Herein is a must-watch LGBTQ+ movie! Despite not having a very heavy plot, it is enough to engage most people from the start.

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Perfectly Balanced & Stellar Quality

I yet again come to DramaList to rectify the misrepresentation being given by the negative reviewers. This movie is tears, explosions of those fiery butterflies us Y girls are constantly seeking and pure angst! It cannot be understated that this will be an emotional ride, but one worth taking. The ending is ambiguous and because of that I am sure it didn't get the 9.3 or higher that it deserved. But it does not make it any less quality as say our beloved "I Told Sunset About You". The actors are invested in their world and their acting is phenomenal. The chemistry is wild and the stares are fire. There is quite a bit of authenticity to the Taiwanese culture references, so that was a plus and it provided a more realistic ride through their struggles. I have said this before, don't let the 8 or lack of the perfect ending deter you. Give yourself a fantastic end to 2020 and watch what was one of my favorite BL productions in recent years. Do IT!

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“Liking Boys is Innate.”

That’s it. This is the explanation that most people fail to understand. I'd suggest this movie to anyone who has just begun to step into the world of BL as I've several people cheer over gay people portrayed in media, yet say that they are against LGBTQ+, which is inhumane.
I do not know how much Taiwan has changed in the past few years, but this one was brutal to watch. This is more of a slice-of-life-amidst-crisis kind of movie, so if you are expecting some "wholesome" story with a neat ending a strong plotline... let's just say gear up.

Narrated to the Priest of their school by a boy, A-Han, the love story between him and a delinquent student Birdy, is slowly revealed. However, in times when homosexuality is considered a sin, how will the two manage to prove that their love was worth it?
I’ve decided that “Bestfriends to lovers” trope is one that I hate, but still torture myself with cause these kind of stories if portrayed well, manages to convey emotions like a punch in the gut.

It was difficult to watch for a number of reasons. There is a point in the movie where we see the gradual shift in its tone as both the boys try to “normalize” their lives, then there are the frequent inner conflicts of the characters that we feel through the screen, particularly due to the outstanding performance by both the leading actors.
I think the final scene of them as teenagers was the nail on the coffin for me. There are questions raised and Morales challenged, which is necessary.
The main song “Your Name Engraved Herein” was beautiful to listen to.
There were intense "NC" scenes that were a bit difficult for me to watch. But, kudos to the actors for being able to depict such intense emotions seamlessly.
Definitely worthy of a watch, even if it hurts you.

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IT'S DARK but that doesn't mean it should be avoided

This may not be everyone's cup of tea, but if anyone has the chance to, I would recommend them to watch this. This movie is a masterpiece. It is so confronting and it may be hard to watch at times, but don't stop, take it seriously. This movie presents the dark parts of the world some of us miss out on. Watch it and absorb all the things and this and please choose to make a change. This movie can be wrapped up as "right person, wrong time" but instead of skipping it because this isn't a fantasy or the story will not unfold as you want it to. Face it, some shows will make love unrealistic to GIVE YOU WHAT YOU WANT, romance. But this movie will give you the harsh reality. DON'T AVOID IT BECAUSE OF THAT, FACE IT.

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What a moment!

Now THIS is what I want to see come out of Asia more frequently, as a Westerner (New Zealand/Australia) it is so refreshing to see an LGBTQI+ film so well done outside of Europe or the trashy crap that comes from the U.S..

And an LGBTQI+ film this certainly is because the normal BL series/film doesn't even come close!

I loved that the focus wasn't on sex or the characters being conventionally "hot" (even though they are very handsome). Gay culture revolves far too much around that rubbish. Even the one sex scene it did have was done so well you felt conflict between what felt wrong yet so right in their minds, instead of it just being steamy sex for the sake of it. They had great chemistry throughout.

Probably alot more I could say but I'm not a film critic, my heart broke for both of them and in the end to me it was a bitter sweet ending.

There's not a lot of gay films I would watch again but this is certainly added to the list.

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surely not one you would want to skip

I am time and time again blown away by this movie. I feel like calling this a BL would limit how much this movie has to offer. How much this movie has is not just BL it's more than that. The element is undoubtedly present but it's not what drew me to the movie.
STORY
just pure intense love. The kind of love that got you awake at 4 am in the morning scrolling over text messages. The movie is about love. Beautiful, selfish, careless, scary, sad love.
ACTING
every single moment is burned into my memory. I wanted to cry, scream, and laugh along with the characters. Pure raw emotions. No filter. It was like the cast was born to play these roles.
MUSIC
I loved it.
REWATCH VALUE/OVERALL
I would watch it again and again and again. It was like falling in love again. It was beautiful.

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Beautiful Pain

It's a beautiful pain.
I just casually watch it to spend my time, and ended up being in so much agony.
This is the type of story which left you a hollow feeling and destroy you internally.
BUT IT'S BEAUTIFUL.
Probably will become one of classic lgbt movie from Taiwan.

Everything about this movie is perfection. You can watch it time to time and it will still beautiful and even hits you harder as you notice a new details everytime. The emotion is captured and delivered perfectly

Now I even can shred tears when listening to it's OST. The Edward Chen's version is better, imo.

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A movie that doesn’t have a happy ending nor sad ending.

It hurts so bad that both of them suffers and they didn’t become what they wanted to be but at the same time I am happy that both of them are still in a good place at the ending. I really wish that it has a sequel but I know that the flow of the story wasn’t really destined for another part. I really recommend this movie if you are a film enthusiast, it is really fun how the cinematography was constructed. The score of the film was too quite, but it’s a compliment. The scoring of the film had help to execute the scene; It is quite so it hurts so bad. The soundtracks are too nostalgic for me, it brings back the poignant scenes. The production is really great and it is really executed well. I also want to commend the artist who portrayed the roles for their professionalism and skills that they showed us within this film. (I would love to see the actors to play another BL film or in a BL Series.) The Director really shows us what is in his shoe looks like and thank you for that. Anyways, excuse my grammar, I hope you have time to watch this movie.

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Truly don’t think this movie is worth the watch.

I’ve just finished this movie a second ago and I’m currently typing this review as the credits are rolling. There are so many flaws in this movie and these are flaws that don’t make the movie beautiful in any way. I’d advise you to watch another movie and just skip this one because you’re never getting back those 2 hours.

First, they could have really done a better job with the casting. Nothing’s wrong with the actors individually, but something was definitely wrong when you placed them both together. It took about 30 minutes for us to realise who was Lead 1 and Lead 2 (or more specifically, it was only when one of them grew their hair out that I realised it) because they literally looked the same and should’ve passed off as siblings instead. By the way, I am Chinese too and yes I find that they looked ALIKE.

Second, a lot of the scenes in the movie just didn’t really make sense. It felt like the director decided to just lump a few RANDOM scenes and make it into a movie. Some parts of the movie just... didn’t need to be there because it contributed to nothing. It just felt like an amateur had produced this movie and nobody’s questioning it. Most scenes weren’t even interesting and I felt that I had to force myself to sit through the whole thing.

Third, I guess this is just how teenage boys act, but half the time I’m just seeing angsty teenage boys screaming and yelling at each other. Like yeah I guess that’s reality but please don’t over add it into the show. It was so tiring to watch it.

Fourth, ending song was beautiful and I would’ve given it a 10/10.... only if they also didn’t mess up the rest of the soundtrack. Nothing wrong with the music, but something was real wrong with the way it was put into the show. Half the show was just intense classical music in the background to add on to the dramatic atmosphere of the show. What for?!?! It wasn’t even needed! Please do a better job and don’t overdo it.

I’m just kinda speechless right now as to what have I just watched. Was pretty excited because it seemed like it would be promising but this movie really doesn’t deserve a good rating. Nothing was satisfying about the show (not in terms of ending but in terms of how everything was pieced together) and it’s one that will easily be erased from your memory.

Big question marks everywhere..........

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