Film Friday: Taiwan’s gay-themed ‘Dear Ex’ touch on acceptance, love, and humany – The Cha Project

Contents:

• 'DEAR EX': A MAN DI, LEAVG BEHD A WIFE, A SON AND A SECRET GAY LOVER
• ‘DEAR EX’ NAVIGAT GRIEF IN A COMPLEX LOVE {FONT-SIZE:20PX;LOR:#999;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;MARG:0PX;MARG-TOP:10PX;}DIR. CHIH-YEN HSU, MAG HSU—3 {GRID-ROW-START:2;GRID-LUMN-START:2;GRID-LUMN-END:3;}@MEDIA (MAX-WIDTH:950PX){{GRID-LUMN-START:1;GRID-LUMN-END:2;}}{MARG-BOTTOM:1EM;}{DISPLAY:BLOCK;MARG:0PX TO;MAX-WIDTH:640PX;Z-X:20;POSN:RELATIVE;} > DIV{BOX-SIZG:NTENT-BOX;PADDG:0PX 20PX;MARG:0PX TO;} > DIV.SHORT-LEFT{FLOAT:LEFT;} > DIV.SHORT-RIGHT{FLOAT:RIGHT;} > DIV.SHORT-SMALL{MAX-WIDTH:200PX;} > DIV.SHORT-MEDIUM{MAX-WIDTH:400PX;} > DIV.SHORT-LARGE{MAX-WIDTH:600PX;} > DIV.SHORT-XLARGE{MAX-WIDTH:1000PX;} > DIV.SHORT-FULLSCREEN{PADDG:0PX;}{WIDTH:100%;}{MAX-WIDTH:1000PX;MARG:5PX 0PX TO;FONT-FAY:'COLABORATE LIGHT','LUCIDA SANS UNI',SANS-SERIF;LOR:#777;FONT-SIZE:15PX;}ROY CHIU (LEFT) STARS AS JAY AND JOSEPH HUANG (RIGHT) STARS AS CHENGXI "DEAR EX" (2018), DIRECTED BY CHIH-YEN HSU AND MAG HSU. IMG{PADDG-RIGHT:7PX;}BY {LOR:#BA0600;}COURTY OF {BOX-SIZG:NTENT-BOX;MAX-WIDTH:600PX;PADDG:0PX 20PX;MARG:0PX TO;FONT-FAY:'COLABORATE LIGHT','LUCIDA SANS UNI',SANS-SERIF;MARG-BOTTOM:5PX;} A{LOR:#7B1B18;}BY JENNA X. 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DISAPPOTGLY THOUGH, REALY, CHIH-YEN HSU AND MAG HSU’S TAIWANE NETFLIX FILM ENDS UP TOUCHG ON ALL THE AND MORE PRENTG AN EMOTNAL JOURNEY THROUGH GRIEF, BUT WHOUT QUE TYG THEM TOGETHER HIVELY.“DEAR EX” STARTS WH A NONTATN BETWEEN THE NEWLY WIDOWED LIU SANLIAN (YG-XUAN HSIEH) AND JAY (ROY CHIU), THE LONGTIME GAY LOVER OF HER LATE HBAND ZHENGYUAN (SPARK CHEN) AND THE UNEXPECTED BENEFICIARY OF HIS LIFE SURANCE. SONG’S TEENAGE SON SONG CHENGZI (JOSEPH HUANG) ROUNDS OUT THE MA ST AND NARRAT WH THE FTGLY MOODY AND NFED VOICE OF A MIDDLE SCHOOL STUNT WHOSE FAY HAS BEEN WHOLLY UPEND SEVERAL TIM OVER. IN AN ACT OF REBELLN AND AN EFFORT TO BETTER UNRSTAND HIS FATHER, CHENGXI LEAV HOME TO STAY WH JAY. THE FILM FOLLOWS THE THREE CHARACTERS AS THEY E TO TERMS WH THE LOSS OF A MAN THEY ALL LOVED AND THE MS HE LEFT BEHD.THIS FILM HAD MASSIVE POTENTIAL TO VELOP PELLG CHARACTERS WH WILDLY PLEX RELATNSHIPS, BUT FALLS SHORT. THE FILM’S STANDOUT PERFORMANCE OM CHIU’S JAY, AN OVER-THE-TOP MS OF A CHARACTER WHOSE LLONS BARELY NCEALS THE LOVE AND GRIEF HE NEVER HAD PERMISSN TO EXPRS OPENLY. IN PARTICULAR, JAY’S UNSHED TEARS AND EXPRSNS OF LONGG, TOGETHER WH THE GEOLY FILMED FLASHBACKS OF HIS RELATNSHIP WH ZHENGYUAN, FLH OUT BOTH MEN A TLY HEARTBREAKG FASHN. UNFORTUNATELY, THE DIRECTORS DO NOT EXPLORE CHENGXI WH NEARLY AS MUCH PTH, AND HE SEEMS AT TIM MORE LIKE A PLOT VICE MEANT ONLY TO ANGER HIS MOTHER. IN THEORY, A YOUNG TEEN TRYG TO UNRSTAND HIS LATE FATHER AS AN DIVIDUAL OUGHT TO MAKE FOR A POIGNANT NARRATIVE. WHILE HUANG LIVERS A REASONABLY PELLG PERFORMANCE, CHENGXI’S LONG, NTEMPLATIVE BOUTS OF SILENCE ARE NOT ILLUMATG ENOUGH TO JTIFY HIS CHARACTER’S SUPPOSED VELOPMENT.FALLY, SANLIAN IS A B HARR TO EMPATHIZE WH SPE THE IAL IMPRSN THAT SHE IS THE MOST PIABLE SUATN. AS HER OWN SON STAT THE FILM, SHE LIV HER LIFE AS IF EVERYONE THE WORLD OW HER SOMETHG, AND AT FIRST VIEWG, HER NEAR-NSTANT YELLG IS UNBEARABLY ABRASIVE AND GRATUO. HER SHOUTG MATCH WH JAY ARE ALSO TRATGLY IRRATNAL, EVEN GIVEN HER BLATANT HOMOPHOBIA. SHE SISTS THAT JAY RETURN HER HBAND’S LIFE SURANCE SPE MAKG SO THAT HE NNOT ACTUALLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF . THEN, SHE MANDS THAT HE TAK RE OF HER SON AFTER CHENGXI STARTS STAYG WH JAY, ALL WHILE THREATENG AND SULTG HIM. YET, ONCE SANLIAN REACH HER LOWT POT AND BREAKS DOWN ONT OF HER SON’S THERAPIST, BE CLEAR JT HOW VASTATED SHE IS OVER THE FACT THAT THE FAY TO WHICH SHE HAS VOTED HER LIFE IS A LIE. HER HBAND HAS CHOSEN SOMEONE ELSE EVEN ATH, AND HER SON CLGS TO THE VERY MAN THAT SYMBOLIZ EVERYTHG SHE HAS LOST. HER NEAR-NSTANT OUTRAGE IS A REACTN TO HER TOTAL LACK OF AGENCY HER MOST CRIL PERSONAL RELATNSHIPS. HER CHARACTER MAY NOT BE LIKEABLE — PERHAPS DUE TO A PERFORMANCE THAT SIMPLY LACKS NUANCE — BUT SHE IS OVERWHELMGLY HUMAN HER DRAMATIC OUTBURSTS AND IS THEREFORE PELLG.DPE THE SHORTGS SOME OF THE ACTORS, “DEAR EX” IS BETIFULLY FILMED AND DIRECTED. CHIH-YEN HSU AND MAG HSU AME EACH OF THE MA CHARACTERS RIGHT THE MIDDLE OF LONG SHOTS THAT MAKE THEM SEEM ISOLATED EVEN WHEN THEY ARE SCEN WH OTHERS. OFTEN, CHARACTERS — JAY PARTICULAR — HAVE THEIR BACKS TO THE MERA, THEIR POSTUR REFLECTG THE SHAMEFUL AND HIDN NATURE OF THE RELATNSHIPS AT THE CENTER OF THIS DRAMA. THE DIRECTORS TEGRATE EQUENT FLASHBACKS THROUGH THE NARRATIVE, AND IRONILLY, THE HAZY, WARMLY-L ROMANTIC MOMENTS ARE THE SADST OF ALL BEE WHAT ULD HAVE BEEN NTRASTS STARKLY WH THE MSY REALY OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED.JT LIKE S CHARACTERS, “DEAR EX” IS IMPERFECT, YET EMOTNALLY GRIPPG, AS PRENTS BROKEN DIVIDUALS SEEKG ROLUTN FOR THEIR MSY AND TERWOVEN PASTS. DPE THE FILM’S JAGGED EDG, THE STORYLE IS QUIETLY BETIFUL, AND ULTIMATELY HOLDS SELF TOGETHER WH LOVE STEAD OF BEG AGMENTED BY GRIEF.—STAFF WRER JENNA X. BAO N BE REACHED AT {FONT-SIZE:16.5PX;LE-HEIGHT:26PX;BOX-SIZG:NTENT-BOX;MAX-WIDTH:600PX;PADDG:0PX 20PX;MARG:0PX TO;MARG:1EM TO;} A{LOR:#7B1B18;}WANT TO KEEP UP WH BREAKG NEWS? 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• FILM FRIDAY: TAIWAN’S GAY-THEMED ‘DEAR EX’ TOUCH ON ACCEPTANCE, LOVE, AND HUMANY
• FORMER 'EX-GAY' LEARS DENOUNCE 'CONVERSN THERAPY' IN A NEW DOCUMENTARY

'DEAR EX': A MAN DI, LEAVG BEHD A WIFE, A SON AND A SECRET GAY LOVER

The film opens wh 13-year-old Chengxi (Joseph Huang) claimg he always knew his dad was gay.

(He's played by a terrific Roy Chiu, whose raw, prickly performance has no trace of the mcg-younger-gay-lover onscreen stereotype. Sanlian's storyle, particular, feels retrogra, both her views on gay men and her rtoonish attempts to keep a handle on her son by any means necsary – cludg an obssn wh sendg him off to llege Canada. I feel like, a lot of gay movi out there, there's a really strong foc on only the two gay characters, which is fe, but I gus this was rehg a way.

‘DEAR EX’ NAVIGAT GRIEF IN A COMPLEX LOVE {FONT-SIZE:20PX;LOR:#999;FONT-STYLE:ALIC;MARG:0PX;MARG-TOP:10PX;}DIR. CHIH-YEN HSU, MAG HSU—3 {GRID-ROW-START:2;GRID-LUMN-START:2;GRID-LUMN-END:3;}@MEDIA (MAX-WIDTH:950PX){{GRID-LUMN-START:1;GRID-LUMN-END:2;}}{MARG-BOTTOM:1EM;}{DISPLAY:BLOCK;MARG:0PX TO;MAX-WIDTH:640PX;Z-X:20;POSN:RELATIVE;} > DIV{BOX-SIZG:NTENT-BOX;PADDG:0PX 20PX;MARG:0PX TO;} > DIV.SHORT-LEFT{FLOAT:LEFT;} > DIV.SHORT-RIGHT{FLOAT:RIGHT;} > DIV.SHORT-SMALL{MAX-WIDTH:200PX;} > DIV.SHORT-MEDIUM{MAX-WIDTH:400PX;} > DIV.SHORT-LARGE{MAX-WIDTH:600PX;} > DIV.SHORT-XLARGE{MAX-WIDTH:1000PX;} > DIV.SHORT-FULLSCREEN{PADDG:0PX;}{WIDTH:100%;}{MAX-WIDTH:1000PX;MARG:5PX 0PX TO;FONT-FAY:'COLABORATE LIGHT','LUCIDA SANS UNI',SANS-SERIF;LOR:#777;FONT-SIZE:15PX;}ROY CHIU (LEFT) STARS AS JAY AND JOSEPH HUANG (RIGHT) STARS AS CHENGXI "DEAR EX" (2018), DIRECTED BY CHIH-YEN HSU AND MAG HSU. IMG{PADDG-RIGHT:7PX;}BY {LOR:#BA0600;}COURTY OF {BOX-SIZG:NTENT-BOX;MAX-WIDTH:600PX;PADDG:0PX 20PX;MARG:0PX TO;FONT-FAY:'COLABORATE LIGHT','LUCIDA SANS UNI',SANS-SERIF;MARG-BOTTOM:5PX;} A{LOR:#7B1B18;}BY JENNA X. 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DISAPPOTGLY THOUGH, REALY, CHIH-YEN HSU AND MAG HSU’S TAIWANE NETFLIX FILM ENDS UP TOUCHG ON ALL THE AND MORE PRENTG AN EMOTNAL JOURNEY THROUGH GRIEF, BUT WHOUT QUE TYG THEM TOGETHER HIVELY.“DEAR EX” STARTS WH A NONTATN BETWEEN THE NEWLY WIDOWED LIU SANLIAN (YG-XUAN HSIEH) AND JAY (ROY CHIU), THE LONGTIME GAY LOVER OF HER LATE HBAND ZHENGYUAN (SPARK CHEN) AND THE UNEXPECTED BENEFICIARY OF HIS LIFE SURANCE. SONG’S TEENAGE SON SONG CHENGZI (JOSEPH HUANG) ROUNDS OUT THE MA ST AND NARRAT WH THE FTGLY MOODY AND NFED VOICE OF A MIDDLE SCHOOL STUNT WHOSE FAY HAS BEEN WHOLLY UPEND SEVERAL TIM OVER. IN AN ACT OF REBELLN AND AN EFFORT TO BETTER UNRSTAND HIS FATHER, CHENGXI LEAV HOME TO STAY WH JAY. THE FILM FOLLOWS THE THREE CHARACTERS AS THEY E TO TERMS WH THE LOSS OF A MAN THEY ALL LOVED AND THE MS HE LEFT BEHD.THIS FILM HAD MASSIVE POTENTIAL TO VELOP PELLG CHARACTERS WH WILDLY PLEX RELATNSHIPS, BUT FALLS SHORT. THE FILM’S STANDOUT PERFORMANCE OM CHIU’S JAY, AN OVER-THE-TOP MS OF A CHARACTER WHOSE LLONS BARELY NCEALS THE LOVE AND GRIEF HE NEVER HAD PERMISSN TO EXPRS OPENLY. IN PARTICULAR, JAY’S UNSHED TEARS AND EXPRSNS OF LONGG, TOGETHER WH THE GEOLY FILMED FLASHBACKS OF HIS RELATNSHIP WH ZHENGYUAN, FLH OUT BOTH MEN A TLY HEARTBREAKG FASHN. UNFORTUNATELY, THE DIRECTORS DO NOT EXPLORE CHENGXI WH NEARLY AS MUCH PTH, AND HE SEEMS AT TIM MORE LIKE A PLOT VICE MEANT ONLY TO ANGER HIS MOTHER. IN THEORY, A YOUNG TEEN TRYG TO UNRSTAND HIS LATE FATHER AS AN DIVIDUAL OUGHT TO MAKE FOR A POIGNANT NARRATIVE. WHILE HUANG LIVERS A REASONABLY PELLG PERFORMANCE, CHENGXI’S LONG, NTEMPLATIVE BOUTS OF SILENCE ARE NOT ILLUMATG ENOUGH TO JTIFY HIS CHARACTER’S SUPPOSED VELOPMENT.FALLY, SANLIAN IS A B HARR TO EMPATHIZE WH SPE THE IAL IMPRSN THAT SHE IS THE MOST PIABLE SUATN. AS HER OWN SON STAT THE FILM, SHE LIV HER LIFE AS IF EVERYONE THE WORLD OW HER SOMETHG, AND AT FIRST VIEWG, HER NEAR-NSTANT YELLG IS UNBEARABLY ABRASIVE AND GRATUO. HER SHOUTG MATCH WH JAY ARE ALSO TRATGLY IRRATNAL, EVEN GIVEN HER BLATANT HOMOPHOBIA. SHE SISTS THAT JAY RETURN HER HBAND’S LIFE SURANCE SPE MAKG SO THAT HE NNOT ACTUALLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF . THEN, SHE MANDS THAT HE TAK RE OF HER SON AFTER CHENGXI STARTS STAYG WH JAY, ALL WHILE THREATENG AND SULTG HIM. YET, ONCE SANLIAN REACH HER LOWT POT AND BREAKS DOWN ONT OF HER SON’S THERAPIST, BE CLEAR JT HOW VASTATED SHE IS OVER THE FACT THAT THE FAY TO WHICH SHE HAS VOTED HER LIFE IS A LIE. HER HBAND HAS CHOSEN SOMEONE ELSE EVEN ATH, AND HER SON CLGS TO THE VERY MAN THAT SYMBOLIZ EVERYTHG SHE HAS LOST. HER NEAR-NSTANT OUTRAGE IS A REACTN TO HER TOTAL LACK OF AGENCY HER MOST CRIL PERSONAL RELATNSHIPS. HER CHARACTER MAY NOT BE LIKEABLE — PERHAPS DUE TO A PERFORMANCE THAT SIMPLY LACKS NUANCE — BUT SHE IS OVERWHELMGLY HUMAN HER DRAMATIC OUTBURSTS AND IS THEREFORE PELLG.DPE THE SHORTGS SOME OF THE ACTORS, “DEAR EX” IS BETIFULLY FILMED AND DIRECTED. CHIH-YEN HSU AND MAG HSU AME EACH OF THE MA CHARACTERS RIGHT THE MIDDLE OF LONG SHOTS THAT MAKE THEM SEEM ISOLATED EVEN WHEN THEY ARE SCEN WH OTHERS. OFTEN, CHARACTERS — JAY PARTICULAR — HAVE THEIR BACKS TO THE MERA, THEIR POSTUR REFLECTG THE SHAMEFUL AND HIDN NATURE OF THE RELATNSHIPS AT THE CENTER OF THIS DRAMA. THE DIRECTORS TEGRATE EQUENT FLASHBACKS THROUGH THE NARRATIVE, AND IRONILLY, THE HAZY, WARMLY-L ROMANTIC MOMENTS ARE THE SADST OF ALL BEE WHAT ULD HAVE BEEN NTRASTS STARKLY WH THE MSY REALY OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED.JT LIKE S CHARACTERS, “DEAR EX” IS IMPERFECT, YET EMOTNALLY GRIPPG, AS PRENTS BROKEN DIVIDUALS SEEKG ROLUTN FOR THEIR MSY AND TERWOVEN PASTS. DPE THE FILM’S JAGGED EDG, THE STORYLE IS QUIETLY BETIFUL, AND ULTIMATELY HOLDS SELF TOGETHER WH LOVE STEAD OF BEG AGMENTED BY GRIEF.—STAFF WRER JENNA X. BAO N BE REACHED AT {FONT-SIZE:16.5PX;LE-HEIGHT:26PX;BOX-SIZG:NTENT-BOX;MAX-WIDTH:600PX;PADDG:0PX 20PX;MARG:0PX TO;MARG:1EM TO;} A{LOR:#7B1B18;}WANT TO KEEP UP WH BREAKG NEWS? 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Paful as fuck and a ltle difficult to bear but not numbgly so, giv a really hont look on the micro level at humany and societal prsure and the cha of hurt that om homophobia whout seemg to really be about homophobia.

“Dear Ex” starts wh a nontatn between the newly widowed Liu Sanlian (Yg-Xuan Hsieh) and Jay (Roy Chiu), the longtime gay lover of her late hband Zhengyuan (Spark Chen) and the unexpected beneficiary of his life surance. Her shoutg match wh Jay are also tratgly irratnal, even given her blatant homophobia. In the Taiwane movie Dear Ex, the gay ma character is mourng after his lover passed away.

FILM FRIDAY: TAIWAN’S GAY-THEMED ‘DEAR EX’ TOUCH ON ACCEPTANCE, LOVE, AND HUMANY

No, but has a gay lead character. Before his ath, Zheng-yuan changed his surance beneficiary to his gay lover Jay. Bis their siar English tl, both are award-wng films wh the gay lead mourng his ceased lover.

Cheng-xi antagoniz his mother, whereas San-lian harass her spoe's secret gay boyiend. At tim, the ex-wife feels like the real star of this movie, stealg foc om the gay lead. The only gay kiss is censored and the urtship scen lack sctn.

FORMER 'EX-GAY' LEARS DENOUNCE 'CONVERSN THERAPY' IN A NEW DOCUMENTARY

He tri to unrstand why his ncer-ridn father left the fay to spend his remag days wh a secret gay lover.