Eternal Summer (Screen Daily Review)

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http://www.screendaily.com/story.asp?st ... 169&r=true

Eternal Summer (Sheng Hsia Guang Nian)

Dan Fainaru in Pusan 16 October 2006

Dir: Leste Chen. Taiwan. 2006. 95mins.

A far cry from his horror film debut Heirloom, which broke box-office records in Taiwan last year, Leste Chen's new film Eternal Summer is an intimate coming-of-age love triangle, whose gay theme gradually emerges until it takes over by the end. Sensitively directed and performed with sincere emotion by three young actors who seem destined to grab some of Taiwan's limelight in years to come, this tale of friendship between two men from boyhood to adolescence is quite a feat for a director who is only 25.

Eternal Summer should be a regular visitor to international festivals in the months, mainstream as well as gay, and could find a respectable niche in the commercial market, although explicit scenes towards the end may cause censorship issues in more restrictive markets (in Korea the film was limited to over-18 audiences).

Jonathan and Shane first meet in junior school when the principal asks well-behaved Jonathan to become a beneficial influence on the troublesome Shane, an unruly solitary prankster disliked by the other kids and about to be expelled for cutting the hair of a girl.

Though they strike it off famously, it is Shane who becomes the dominant partner in this tandem, leading Jonathan astray until the golden boy’s grades sink, if never as low as those of his new found pal.

The two are still best friends as the plot follows them into high school. Shane (now energetically played by Joseph Chang) has blossomed into a kind of class hero, an athletic, outgoing basketball star with fans who follow him around. Meanwhile Jonathan (Bryant Chang) is more of a reclusive introvert, tagging along in Shane's shadow.

Then, out of nowhere, comes the winsome Carrie (Kate Young), a free spirited teen who is far more adult than most girls her age. At first she gets closer to Jonathan, eloping one day to Taipei and renting a room in a hotel, where Jonathan's failed sexual performance puts an end to their affair, if not their friendship.

When Shane later tries to muscle in on her, Carrie laughingly says she would only consider him if he was accepted to university - an impossible task given his poor performance at school.

Still, through the magic that only films can work, Shane is Carrie’s regular boyfriend when we next meet the trio, having been accepted to university. While Carrie is now a media student, Jonathan has failed his exams and is sent to a private, much less prestigious school, to cram his way towards retakes.

At this point an earthquake occurs in this love triangle, shaking the foundations of their delicate relationship, for it is clear that Jonathan is desperately in love with Shane, who would rather not reciprocate for as long as he can. Meanwhile Carrie, who gradually perceives their predicament, gives the pair a final nudge through a heart-rending confession facing the ocean.

Some brisker cutting in the first half of Eternal Summer might have been useful, but the second half picks up neatly, improving as it approaches its climactic ending. Chen, who is more than a little indebted to Truffaut – especially 400 Blows for the problematic kids and the beach scene at the end and Jules & Jim for the basic structure - displays remarkable restraint and understanding.

He never rushes to telegraph his intentions, instead surreptitiously allowing them to creep in until they become clear. By the end the relationship between the boys is evident enough to result in a graphic love scene.

Granted, the script allows the narrative all sorts of liberties, such as largely ignoring parental presence and financial problems; explaining Shane's intellectual leap into academia through his urge to gain Carrie's favours is also hardly sufficient.

But Eternal Summer is a work that takes place in a limbo governed by sentiment, and is ultimately moving because the characters are so carefully limned, not only by the script but also by the touching, if sometimes hesitant performances.

The cast are most satisfactory, with Joseph Chang successful as cocky, self-assured heartbreaker Shane, and Bryant Chang, conveying well Jonathan, a troubled teenager consumed by a passion he dares not reveal. The more experienced Kate Young - who played in Sylvia Chang's 20 30 40 and the Pang brothers' The Eye – rounds off the lead players.

Production companies/backers
Rolling Film Entertainment
Flash Forward Entertainment

International sales
Three Dots Entertainment

Producers
Leste Chen
Patrick Mao-Huang

Screenplay
Cheng-Ping Hsu
From original story by Dean Wang

Cinematography
Charlie Lam

Editor
Hsiao Yun-Ku

Production design
Chan-Chih Shen

Music
Jeffrey Cheng

Main cast
Joseph Chang
Bryant Chang
Kate Young