This was a great movie that may have tried to be a bit too complex for its own good.
On the one hand, unlike so many movies that try to deal with the sexual-identity-and-family issues, this was not simply a black & white generational conflict between fairly one dimensional characters and it certainly does not eventually have a happily-ever-after resolution ... or any clear resolution at all. Of course, that might be considered part of its charm.
All the characters, both central and peripheral, have surprising depth and can generate a certain amount of sympathy (or antipathy) and interest on the part of the viewer. Most everyone was believable, although there was some overacting, particularly on the part of the father.
The problem was that there were a few too many characters dealing with a few too many problems and if you had to rely on following the English subtitles it was easy to get lost at times. I will definitely have to watch this at least once more to try to get a better understanding of the personalities who were not central to the main story line. That's not a problem since it was an enjoyable experience the first time and I expect that getting a better understanding of the subplots will make it all the more enjoyable. But I also expect that to some extent it may be too much of a good thing packed into too small a space. Some of the characters needed more time to develop and the ending of the film left a lot of issues unresolved and hanging ... I think.
On the one hand, unlike so many movies that try to deal with the sexual-identity-and-family issues, this was not simply a black & white generational conflict between fairly one dimensional characters and it certainly does not eventually have a happily-ever-after resolution ... or any clear resolution at all. Of course, that might be considered part of its charm.
All the characters, both central and peripheral, have surprising depth and can generate a certain amount of sympathy (or antipathy) and interest on the part of the viewer. Most everyone was believable, although there was some overacting, particularly on the part of the father.
The problem was that there were a few too many characters dealing with a few too many problems and if you had to rely on following the English subtitles it was easy to get lost at times. I will definitely have to watch this at least once more to try to get a better understanding of the personalities who were not central to the main story line. That's not a problem since it was an enjoyable experience the first time and I expect that getting a better understanding of the subplots will make it all the more enjoyable. But I also expect that to some extent it may be too much of a good thing packed into too small a space. Some of the characters needed more time to develop and the ending of the film left a lot of issues unresolved and hanging ... I think.