Moneyboys

Mobeyboys was for me a film, which I enjoyed very much for three reasons:

• camera - i would like to have each scene as a poster in my room
• sound - both music and the sound itself
• the character of the main character - Fei

Fei is a mixture of a narcistic and selfless person. Between love, to family and his partners, and awareness of his beauty and erotic power. Never have I seen before such a complex mixture - between egoistic moves and offering himself to others. Fei will stay will stay with me for long.

Fei is a young man from the countryside, making money in the big city by having sex with men. There are subplots of his colleagues, with one managing to save enough money to get out of the business, marry a woman and have a baby, and another managing to switching to busking to support his wife and children.

Going home, he has uncles who are not happy with his lifestyle, wanting him to get married and settle down. Instead, another young man from his village follows him back to the city, hoping to earn his fortune.

Produced and shot in Taiwan, the cities and locations mentioned squarely puts the action in mainland China. That makes me wonder how authentic the situation would be - is this the only alternative to life working in the factories making goods for export? Also, how fluid is their sexuality, that they can "switch teams" easily, or are they just "gay for pay"?

The film was wonderful to watch. It covers the topic of male prostitution in Taiwan/China, and the trauma that many gay/bisexual/MSM men face in society. A large part of this is due to the familial pressure to marry and have children, which is something many young people in Taiwan and China may relate to.

The film was deliberately slow paced. It relied on body language, situational context and reading between the lines. The story was dark, impactful and meaningful. The film shines light on the greater societal issues of sexualization, homophobia, and poverty. Not an easy topic to explore.

The cinematography was simple and beautiful.

I tried so hard to stick with this film, needing to watch it in three parts.

As other users have said, the cinematography is beautiful and it has many redeeming productive value features.

What is critically lacking though is any real reason to get behind the main protagonist Fei. Although he is claimed to be selfless, this really doesn't translate to the film.

Fei is often moping and locked in his own spiral of melancholy. It's difficult to root for a character who doesn't give the audience much to work with!

While not a bad film by any means, at times it can be a real drag to watch and invest in.

If you're wanting for a film that avoids the tired cliches of so much current gay-themed content, I highly recommend Moneyboys. It is a very assured debut from director CB Yi, who displays incredible restraint in telling the story of a young Chinese sex worker dealing with the trials of work, love, family and displacement.

The cinematography is absolutely stunning with each scene beautifully composed. The camera perspective is often at a distance, which adds to a feeling of remoteness and detachment. This is the same feeling projected by the main character, played with restraint and empathy by Kai Ko.

There are many scenes where few words are spoken but much is said in the pauses and silence. Some may find the tone of Moneyboys too formal and the pacing too measured, but with patience you'll be treated to a moving story of compassion and acceptance.