There is nothing less 21st century than the 21st century itself because ‘we are still protesting the same shit', except that we also sometimes don't, for a simple reason that there are places where protesting shit isn't just being ignored, but also damn dangerous even if it ‘only' means that your uncle threatens to castrate you for being gay.
Moneyboys is screening at Cannes Film Festival
Fei (Kai Ko) comes from a place where his sexual orientation isn't something one speaks about until mid-narrative, but where we first meet him is not the village he grew up in. In a long prologue to the plot, we see him walking through a door of an apartment where he is greeted by a young man by the name of Xiolai (JC Lin) dressed in a spectacularly all-red attire. Fei is slightly insecure about how to behave, and for a moment, one has the impression that he has come to a job interview of sorts. And in a way, that's already his trial period. When a few moments later a third man – not nearly as young and beautiful – briefly walks past the camera, belly hanging over his briefs, it is clear as crystal that Fei is a callboy on his first job.
In building the story surrounding moneyboys' milieu in South China, C.B. Yi is interested in something other than the ‘job' a group of hunks chose to make a living. The film deals with migration of young people from the country, who in this case, happen to be working as (mostly) high-class prostitutes in big cities. Almost all come from rural China, from communities that would never have accepted their homosexuality, which means that leaving was never a matter of choice. On the run from the prejudice back home and most of all – from expectations imposed to them by their relative (=getting married and have children), they barely go to visit their parents, although they do support them financially.
The film was shot on locations in Taiwan with support of Taipei Film Comission. By chosing to film the scenes of city life mostly indoors, C.B.Yi keeps a contrast between the Chinese rural versus urban life credible, avoiding the potential danger of exposing the architectural landscape of his actual film set. There is another reason behind the choice of enteriors instead of city exteriors – cinematographer Jean-Louis Vialard uses the limitation of camera movements in hermetic spaces to put Fei's closness or distance to other people under close observation.
Yi's original idea was to make the film in China, and he denies that the reason behing it was censorship. “Moneyboys” is actually the first installment of a similarly themed triology, with two following films set up in Europe.
In the script he penned for the film, C.B.Yi makes Fei adapt to the rules of the game quickly, but not before hitting his head against the wall heavily. At one point, he gets brutally beaten by a customer his (five minutes into the film already boyfriend) Xiaolai tried to warn him about, after which he becomes more careful in choosing customers. But the aforementioned violence act will heavily impact the lives of both young men, leaving Xiaolai crippled after a naive attempt to revenge his lover, and forcing Fei to leave to another city. We see him five years after living a relatively good life, and basing his business on good-paying clients who visit him at home.
With his role in “Moneyboys” Kai Ko finally gets his big style comeback after a scandal in 2014 that put his career on halt. His portrayal of a young man who gives his best to support his family despite of their scorn is brilliant, and so is his transition from a shy & naive country boy to a seasoned hustler.
Touching is the moment when Fei finally goes back to his village to see his dying grandfather. The same family who's been leaning on his financial help since he left becomes openly hostile, but it is there he re-connects with his childhood friend Long (Bai Yufan) who will shortly after appear at his door in the city. Long won't only go the same path as Fei, he will also become a very important part of his life. “Every form of work is prostitution” he will retort when Fei tries to talk him into sense, over-protective as once upon a time his big love Xiolai was towards him.
C.B. Yi is a graduate of the Vienna film academy, where he studied under Michael Haneke. Although resident of Vienna since early teens, he uses a pseudonym to protect himself from the possibility of not being able to return to his country of birth.
‘Moneyboys' competed in Un Certain Regard section of Cannes Film Festival where it was nominated for three awards: Golden Camera, Queer Palm and Un Certain Regard Award.
