Cioa and yawn... (er, CIAO and Yawn!! I typo'ed...)

Opening this week is a film that received a pair of screenings at this past year's Frameline Film Festival. I can't help but to repost what I felt about it, since just the title pushed my annoying button! There are just so many other high quality gay-related, SMALL budget films, that seem to be going straight to video (but thank you, TLA Video!), that I am just trying to get the word out there to insist on a more selective theatrical distributions! Anyway...

CIAO (dir. Yen Tan, US, 2007, 87 mins.). Oh dear. Well, I can appreciate the "quiet camerawork" and director Yen Tan's near zen-like pacing and palette. It is a "serious drama", and Tan has cast the entire production in a gray fog. Even the performances are underplayed and dour. However, the script is ludicrous and completely unbelievable. At least for me. A man discovers some email between his newly deceased partner and a man from Italy, who were planning to finally consummate their internet affair. Now, WHY the widower goes ahead and invites the Italian (who had never met his partner) to visit anyway, was beyond me. Even in the dialogue, the email relationship is merely regarded as internet-flirting, so the widower does not feel betrayed. There is no basis to invite the dead boyfriend's chat buddy to stay! I just couldn't get past that point. And THEN, as if it weren't enough (spoiler here!), THEY fall in love! OH PLEASE! That was cliche' and annoying, even if the production style was incredibly deft.

Maxxxxx says
re CIAO: "Is it bedtime?"