[3.0]
Finally, my first viewing of a film by notorious Hong Kong auteur/provocateur Scud. Like a more ambitious Skinemax flick, UTOPIANS features impressive cinematography, decent acting, an attractive cast, plenty of nudity, and an attempt to promote a vision of sexual liberation and emotional freedom. It’s not a totally thrilling viewing, but it delivers what it promises. Scud elevates his material with a keen eye for framing and pacing. The opening dreamy one-take of a dominatrix playing with a nude man tied to a cross is captivating. Then we get into the story of college student Hins Gao (played by the handsome Adonis He Fei), who finds himself drawn to the openly gay professor Antonio, who preaches the values of Ancient Greece. Hins has issues with his prudish girlfriend, and the film surprisingly details both of their evolutions. While Hins starts spending time with Antonio, including joining him on a nude romp aboard a junk boat, his girlfriend has flings with random men. Later, Antonio reveals that he’s actually happily married, and the two couples get it on in a foursome tangle of limbs. The film’s conflict comes about not just from Hins trying to find himself, but also a public scandal that erupts when Antonio is put on trial for corrupting his underage student. This leads to Hins confronting his mom, who confesses she isn’t really his mom and his birth certificate was faked so she could smuggle him in from the mainland. Thus, his real age is proven and Antonio is set free. It’s convoluted but cutely amusing.
There’s some references to Mishima (including recreating the writer’s famous photoshoot where he erotically mimics Guido Reni’s painting of St. Sebastian) , a pool sex scene in Bangkok (where there’s also a hilarious moment where Antonio tries to throw a sex party with Thai guys until Hins interrupts), and even a masturbation scene that ends with on-camera ejaculation. Some of the footage that is supposed to be in Hong Kong clearly look amiss (the expansive and verdant campus was probably shot in Taiwan), and there’s an interesting mix of Cantonese and Mandarin being spoken alternatingly. Not a great movie, but has me interested in seeking out more Scud.
*also features a cameo by Vinci Wong (the host of “Boyscation”) as a lawyer.
burning retina 