What makes it different from others?

Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??

Disappointment for a huge fan!

Disapointment

A well-made, coming-of-age drama that explores friendship, romance, sexuality and politics, Yang Ya-Che's GF*BF (alternatively titled as GIRLFRIEND BOYFRIEND) is one of the best Taiwanese movies I've ever come across. No wonder the movie is well-deserved to earn 7 nominations at the 49th Golden Horse Awards (which later won Gwei Lun-Mei a Best Actress award as well as Audience Choice Award).Told over the span of three decades (1985, 1997 and 2012), the movie begins with a brief prologue set in the present day before it goes back in time in 1985, where we are introduced to three Taiwan high-schoolers Mabel (Gwei Lun-Mei), Liam (Joseph Chang) and Aaron (Rhydian Vaughan). All of them are activists rebelling against the martial law during the turbulent period of 1980s Taiwan. On the personal side, Mabel loves Liam a lot, but Liam doesn't really have a feeling for her. So she ends up falling in love with Aaron instead. Liam, in the meantime, is actually a closeted homosexual who's been longing for Aaron. This is one complicated love triangle which will make your head spin upon watching the movie.Which is why the trio's love triangle is one of the unique selling points in GF*BF. All three actors delivered top-notch and remarkably convincing performances where you'll feel emotionally involved with them. Gwei Lun-Mei is particularly excellent in what would be her best performance to date as a spunky girl with hidden vulnerability. Joseph Chang is equally captivating as a silent-type individual who loves to bottle up his emotion, and he's especially good when he communicates his character through his expressive eyes. Rhydian Vaughan is perfectly cast as a playful and sweet-talking Aaron.Yang's direction is well-calculated and more than often, he successfully delivers a roller-coaster ride of varied emotions ranging from happiness to heartbreak with such genuine affection. On the other hand, Yang's keen observation over the multiple themes he's been exploring throughout his movie is passionately told, yet thought-provoking enough at the same time. Even the political aspect depicted earlier in the movie, which is actually served as a mere backdrop, has a certain impact served in his storyline.The 1985 segment is easily the most memorable moment of all as Yang captures the sheer exuberance of what it's like to be a rebellious youth during that particular era where rules don't apply and freedom of speech is crucial for living a life to the fullest.If there's a flaw in the movie, I must say that Vaughan's performance can be a bit underwhelming at times. Other than that, Yang's complicated storyline can be a little convoluted.Production values are ace, while the soundtrack hits all the right notes in term of capturing the essence of the three different eras as well as the overall context of the movie.

Those clued in to Taiwan's much-hyped cinematic wave and new generation of auteurs will find Ya-che Yang's new work familiar ground.A blend of coming-of-age realities and a fair dose of human drama, it's a formula that has been shown to work wonders.Moderation, however, is often shown to be the achilles heel when following such proved plot formulas. And while the film touches many a raw soul rooted in the conundrums of unrequited love, it is also perhaps where Girlfriend Boyfriend flatters to deceive.Set against Taiwan's political wave of student uprisings in 1985, Girlfriend Boyfriend is a film about three school students coming to grips with their sexualities and self-consciousness.Sean (Shu-Hao Chang), Liam (Hsiao-chuan Chang) and Mabel (Lunmei Kwai) are best friends who are bonded by the anti-establishment ideology of the time. Each brings a different element and perspective but all three pieces fit into a perfect team picture of revolutionary prodigies staking their places in society.Of course, the adrenalin-charging environment of the times can only raise the levels of raging teenage hormones, and the viewer is slowly thrown to question whether their friendship is defined by bonds, or by their own love agendas.In giving each of his three leading characters a distinctive unyielding persona, Ya-che Yang sets the development of his characters in a natural motion as the years pass.While the consistency helps the viewer take a liking to them and their unconventional ideologies, it also surfaces a rigidity that extends to their love interests. And that, while stemmed in the film's main theme, is also what this critic felt was overscripted to the point of tiresome blabber.All in all, the viewer leaves the theatre sharing the sense of resignation to life's conundrums the film's three lead characters convey through their complicated characters at some time or another.The great Oscar Wilde penned "Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life"If it was pertaining to Girlfriend Boyfriend (2012), it might make sense to put away the tissue box readied for Hollywood-esque heart-rending moments, and bring a state of human consciousness into the theatre.

Taiwanese films are becoming sexy again, and this probably is due in part of its crop of up and coming directors who are now holding their own against the art-house veterans, with their box office success being indication of their connecting with the audience at large, both local and overseas. Writer-director Yang Ya-Che's second feature film gf*bf shows the kind of appeal that's attractive to the general audience with its themes of romance starring a good looking cast, but in essence has a powerful story as gravitas to back it up.Told over three decades from the martial law of the 80s, to the free spirited 90s and of today, the story revolves around three students, rebellious in their own right during their school days, but forming firm relations and friendship during their formative years. The brilliance in the scripting is in how Yang managed to craft really complex relationships between these three primary characters alone that worked on multiple levels, and showed a very fine and keen observation of the human condition, in the way we allow ourselves to be influenced by society at large, whether to conform or rebel against it, and how such decisions affect and change our behaviours, attitudes, and perhaps personality as well.It's about how people change over time due to events and ever growing experience, whether jaded ones or otherwise, and how these changes affect the people around us, especially those whom we care about most. For Mabel (Gwei Lun-Mei), Liam (Chang Hsiao-Chuan) and Aaron (Rhydian Vaughan), life in school meant plenty of opportunities to work against the uniformed establishment, to try and break free from restrictive, and sometimes inexplicable rules. The impetuousness of youth continues into the 90s where the student movement got larger and more proactively vocal, before life in the present requires a lot more responsibility and level- headedness, with a surprise in the twist of narrative thrown in for good measure.The trio's love triangle is what made this film come alive, and that's all that should be mentioned about it. While the title may be that little giveaway, suffice to say the romance in the film, amongst the characters, prove to be the best thing about the movie. All three actors gave convincing performances, that you'll feel every heart break, every heart wrench, and share in their little moments of happiness and warmth when things go their way, albeit not most of the time. Yang Ya-Che shows off some incredible sensitivity in making all of them multi-faceted, and multi-dimensional, and each of the actors did brilliantly to flesh their characters, making all of them pretty much endearing as we chart their ups and downs in life, especially their luck in love, or lack thereof.Gwei Lun-Mei anchors the film, being the female amongst the two male leads, probably put in the best performance to date in a role that has plenty of spunk, yet filled with girly vulnerability when she gets her heart open and prone to heartbreak. There's a little sub plot involving her getai performing mom, and that provided a little bit of a distraction from the main narrative. While Rhydian Vaughan will likely set hearts aflutter with his good looks, playing the brash and sweet talking Aaron, Chang Hsiao-Chuan puts in a performance that's completely opposite as if to starkly contrast in broad terms, two different categories of men, and excelled in playing the strong, silent type who had too much bottled within him. For a reason of course.gf*bf hardly put in a wrong foot in its story telling, and makes the audience work for their reward. There are films which make it easy to understand from the onset no thanks to having everything told in verbatim fashion, but this one allows some piecing together of facts and information, with a little bit of cultural and historical significance put on the side, that makes it unique, moving, and a masterful piece of filmmaking.

A sad but beautiful triangular love story with Taiwan's student movement as backdrop. How much are you willing to suffer/sacrifice for the person you love? How long are you willing to love even if your love is not requited? What would you do for a friend who loves you but you do not love as much? How close would you like to be with someone you love but were afraid to tell?These are all questions I kept asking myself as the movie went along. Like the tag in its trailer, perhaps everyone has two lovers: one who loves me and one I love. Life would be perfect if these two persons are the same. But life is never perfect. And in this case, the best and the saddest love stories are muddled and linger on for three decades, making it beautiful and sad at the same time.Mabel (Lunmei Kwai) loves Liam (Hsiao-chuan Chang) who loves Aaron (Rhydian Vaughan) who loves Mabel. Only Aaron expresses his love for Mabel after Liam tells him that he and Mabel are not a couple. Both Mabel and Liam did not have the courage to confess their feelings until years later when Mabel found out she was betrayed by Aaron. However, their tragic confessions make both of them even sadder and pave way for their stronger friendship.Another few years pass when they all graduate from college and start working. Liam's love to Aaron and Mabel's love to Liam still linger but Aaron is married, to someone outside this triangle. Their friendship is spoiled when an affair is involved. Perhaps Mabel is involved with Aaron because that would be the closest she can get to Liam: if Liam cannot get close to Aaron, maybe she can do it for him. The sad part is that she finally realizes that Aaron would/could never love her as much as he has promised – ironically he is just like the Pinocchio he tells his son. So Mabel chooses to back off, again. For Liam, no matter it is Aaron or other man or being loved by Mabel, life is painful. Like he said, many sufferings are self-inflicted. Liam finally makes a painful decision to stop loving Aaron after a confrontation following prolonged repression: he has been suffering all his life but he stopped because he saw a mirror image. Mabel could have a choice and so could he. The scene of them in the supermarket is moving as they finally realize they are still very close friends after all these years – and they care for each other no matter what happens. Although his love for Aaron subsides and their friendship spoiled, his love for Mabel exists which sublimes into parental love for her kids whom he treats as his own. This is such a tragic story but you cannot help but like it. It could never have happened without the three outstanding actors and actress where everyone is caught between two forces. Kwai is amazing in playing Mabel, who is caught between Aaron and Liam. She evolves from a bold Tomboy, a daring college student and finally a mature but sad woman. When you see her sad eyes, you want to cry with her.Hsiao-chuan Chang plays the loving yet introvert Liam who spends his whole life suppressing his passion but taking care of his close friend. You will feel so sorry for him and his predicament that you want to hug him tightly.Rhydian Vaughan plays the outgoing, daring and rebellious Aaron. Extremely handsome, Aaron at college resembles a young Tom Cruise and is very pleasant to watch. A very important character is Sean (Bryan Shu-hao Chang) who, opposite to Liam, is honest and open about his sexual orientation. A rational observer of life, he is well aware of what's going on between the trios and is doing everything he can to help his friends. An honest and sincere person, Sean finally finds the happiness he deserves. Bryan is brilliant: he does not appear often but whenever he appears, the character shines. This movie uses very strong film language to express the rich emotions. All details are related to pave way for later development or reflect the character's emotions. Produced with immense sincerity, excellent direction, great script and superb cast, this is worth watching again and again because there are such complex emotions going on. On the one hand, our protagonists seem to be happy and fulfilled; on the other hand, there is always a sad note and painful compromise somewhere. But then if you look from another angle, it may be sad but it is comforting after all. An excellent production. Must see.