Don't listen to the negative reviews

Absolutely Fantastic

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

It's not often I can't be bothered to finish a film after starting to watch it but with this film is happened. As soon as the actors starting speaking I turned to my girlfriend just to check it wan't only me that thought the acting was terrible. Her look said it all.It's a shame. Before watching the film I saw the very high IMDb score (but forgot to look at the number of votes) and was expecting to sit down to a cult classic, indeed the first 2-3 minutes set the scene with a suitably art-house feel but then.... oh dear.Oh no! Now IMDb wants me to write a minimum of 10 tens without padding I'm not sure that I can do that without just repeating that this film is bad. I don't hold any illusions to be some master film critic but I know bad acting and a bad film when I see one.Just don't bother.

It's so rare in life that we get beyond what we originally wanted but watching this film was one of those golden moments. I stumbled upon this movie not knowing any sort of advance word or description, merely hoping for some temporary diversion, but was instead rewarded with an amazing piece of understated artistry. Such universal appeal within the underlying honestly of the story & characters yet also showing a very personal understanding of the particular friendship, intimacy possible between gay men. So well crafted, there were pleasures to be found wherever one turned: subtle but haunting soundtrack, the clean, quiet strokes of the cinematography and the remarkably sincere performances of the cast. This is one of those films that echoes into the audience's subconscious for days and days afterwards. But being addicted to all things Robert Altman, my final judgement always comes down to the actual words and the behavior which surrounds them - that's what really determines the level of a film's impact. The conversations between the main characters, Jeff and Andreas, hit a level of realness we hardly ever see in American movies, never mind gay cinema. Even beyond that, there is a penultimate scene of intimacy between them which accomplishes a mesmerizing display of soulful quietness unlike almost anything else to be found in movies today. Hardly any directors get it right when it comes to sex, making it more about choreography or titillation rather than the underlying foundation of it all: honesty. Nothing more naked than that in this world nor anything more artistically misunderstood. But this director, Yen Tan, tore my heart out to the floor with that scene alone. There was just so much being said by the characters' faces and intertwining limbs, so much of what life is really like but that we don't realize we have in common till a filmmaker like himself finally speaks up. To my grateful surprise, I wandered upon something worth remembering and can't wait to see what comes next from Tan.

I recently saw 'Ciao' at a film festival in Australia and it turned out to be one of my favorites. I think it beautifully captured the cautious and quiet interactions we have with people who we barely know and who are from another country and culture. It was also a wonderful example of how we relate to another person who was unknown to us yet deeply loved the same person that we ourselves have loved. The common ground that two people have when they have both independently loved a third is thoughtfully explored.This movie is for those who love to think about (and ponder) dialog. It is also for people who enjoy a solid script delivered by actors that quietly deliver the goods. To me it was both believable and possible, which made it even more endearing. I was afraid that the film was going to go in a predictable direction and have a Hollywood style ending but this temptation was (thankfully) resisted. Instead the audience was provided with a very moving, heart warming, and realistic conclusion. I felt the movie was full of meaning, but you had to be listening and patient. The movie was about the journey of two people who shared common ground and the connection between them because of it. I recommend it highly.

This movie is laughably bad. Every shot is held three times longer than necessary... the script lacks any exploration of emotions that would be warranted by the circumstances and is filled with banal chatter rather than driving a story. The direction is wooden and the actors aren't much better. It appears as if the writer and director are afraid of exploring emotion, and use a plodding score and a lot of quiet tormented posing to imply emotional pain. The photography offers nothing in terms of visual meaning or interesting shots. Nothing happens in Ciao and nothing is truly resolved. This is an intriguing story concept that is completely wasted. You want to feel sad or happy or empathetic or something; you just feel bored. And the sighs from the audience confirmed a communal sense of boredom. One of the worst films I've ever seen.