Girlfriend, Boyfriend

2012 Taiwanese film
  • August 3, 2012 (2012-08-03)
Running time
105 minutesCountryTaiwanLanguagesMandarin
TaiwaneseBox officeUS$64,414 (U.S)[1]

Girlfriend, Boyfriend (also stylized as Gf*Bf) is a 2012 Taiwanese drama film written and directed by Yang Ya-che. The film was released on August 3, 2012.

Of the film, director Yang stated that while he did not intentionally set out to make a "gay movie, but a political one, one which happened to include a gay character".,[2] he further stated that homosexuality and politics "both in fact represent the theme of freedom".[2]

Synopsis

In the 1980s, high school students Aaron, Mabel and Liam are best friends and also caught in a love triangle. As the three friends go through the turbulent times, when social revolution takes hold over martial law, their relationships go through many ups and downs.

Cast

  • Gwei Lun-mei as Mabel
  • Joseph Chang as Liam
  • Rhydian Vaughan as Aaron
  • Bryan Chang as Sean
  • Serena Fang as Hsiao-bao, Aaron's wife
  • Russell Tang as John Hsu, Liam's boyfriend
  • Ding Ning as Hanako, Mabel's mother
  • Nita Lei as Hsiao Yun
  • J.C. Lei as Hsiao Shu

Reception

Critical reception for Girlfriend, Boyfriend has been mixed to positive,[3] with review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes giving the film a rating of 67%, based on 12 reviews.[4] The New York Times cited the performance of Gwei Lun-mei as a highlight, saying that she was "by turns brazen and uncertain, fragile and steely".[5] In comparison, the Los Angeles Times panned the film, stating that it "[failed] to connect" and that it "can't balance its story lines of romance and societal change".[6]

Awards and nominations

Award Category Recipients Result
55th Asia-Pacific Film Festival Best Actress Gwei Lun-mei Won
Best Actor Joseph Chang Nominated
Best Screenplay Yang Ya-che Nominated
Best Sound Tu Duu-chih Nominated
7th Asian Film Awards Best Actor Joseph Chang Nominated
Best Actress Gwei Lun-mei Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Rhydian Vaughan Nominated
People's Choice Award - Favorite Actor Joseph Chang Nominated
People's Choice Award - Favorite Actress Gwei Lun-mei Nominated
13th Chinese Film Media Awards Best Actress Gwei Lun-mei Nominated
49th Golden Horse Awards Best Feature Film Girlfriend, Boyfriend Nominated
Audience Choice Award Girlfriend, Boyfriend Won
Best Director Yang Ya-che Nominated
Best Actor Joseph Chang Nominated
Best Actress Gwei Lun-mei Won
Best Supporting Actor Bryan Chang Nominated
Best Original Screenplay Yang Ya-che Nominated
Best Cinematography Jake Pollock Nominated
32nd Hong Kong Film Awards Best Film from Mainland and Taiwan Girlfriend, Boyfriend Nominated
14th Taipei Film Awards Best Actor Joseph Chang Won
Best Supporting Actor Bryan Chang Won
Press Award Girlfriend, Boyfriend Won

References

  1. ^ "Girlfriend Boyfriend - GF BF (2012) - Box Office Mojo". www.boxofficemojo.com.
  2. ^ a b "Taiwanese Director Ya-Che Yang Discusses His New Film Girlfriend Boyfriend". Houston Press. Archived from the original on 13 August 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  3. ^ "MOVIE REVIEW: Girlfriend Boyfriend". NY Post. 3 August 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  4. ^ "Reviews: Girlfriend, Boyfriend". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  5. ^ Catsoulis, Jeannette (2 August 2012). "Three Friends' Approaches to Martial Law". New York Times. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  6. ^ "Review: 'Girlfriend Boyfriend' fails to connect". LA Times. 3 August 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2013.

External links

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