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.
| Girlfriend, Boyfriend | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Yang Ya-che |
| Written by | Yang Ya-che |
| Produced by | Yeh Ju-feng Liu Weijan |
| Starring | Gwei Lun-mei Joseph Chang Rhydian Vaughan |
| Cinematography | Jake Pollock |
| Edited by | Chen Chung-hung |
| Music by | Chung Hsing-min |
Production companies | Atom Cinema Ocean Deep Films Central Motion Pictures |
| Distributed by | Atom Cinema |
Release date |
|
Running time | 105 minutes |
| Country | Taiwan |
| Languages | Mandarin Taiwanese |
| Box office | US$64,414 (U.S)[1] |
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
editIn 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
edit- 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
editCritical 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
edit| 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
edit- ^ "Girlfriend Boyfriend - GF BF (2012) - Box Office Mojo". www.boxofficemojo.com.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "MOVIE REVIEW: Girlfriend Boyfriend". NY Post. 3 August 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
- ^ "Reviews: Girlfriend, Boyfriend". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
- ^ Catsoulis, Jeannette (2 August 2012). "Three Friends' Approaches to Martial Law". New York Times. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
- ^ "Review: 'Girlfriend Boyfriend' fails to connect". LA Times. 3 August 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2013.