| LAN YU |
 2001 –
China / Hong Kong
Director: Stanley Kwan - Reviewed by Linda
Spanning a (vaguely alluded to) decade, Lan Yu follows the relationship of a successful businessman sugar-daddy and the virginal college student that he picks up for a one-night trick. Well, businessman becomes smitten with the lovely 'ho, who of course falls for the older guy who starts to shower material gifts on him. Wait a second... my god! It's a Chinese Pretty Woman! The film looks great, and in theory should be very interesting considering the fresh cultural context, but boy is it dull. Liu Ye as Lan Yu, the young man, is charming and sweet, and almost makes the film tolerable. But Jun Hu as the businessman Handong has about as much depth as, well, a stiff-shirted businessman. I found the "love" between them a bit hard to believe, especially a love spanning a wistful decade-long obsession. Ultimately, Lan Yu is basically a love story between a cute piece of ass and a bulging wallet. I didn't buy the emotion behind it. By the required old-school "tragic" ending rolled around after a seemingly endless 90 minutes, I had completely lost interest in the fate of the characters. |
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This is one of those movies more notable for the way it came about, rather than the final product. Apparently based on
a novel called "Beijing Story" anonymously posted internet, Lan Yu had to be filmed in secrecy in China because of its controversial subject: a homosexual relationship between a college student and an older man. This is indeed an intriguing set up for what turns out to be an unfortunately dull film.
