When Joselito "Jay" Altarejos makes a film involving two men as central characters, one who knows his body of work would usually expect it to be about a budding romance between two men with graphic intimate scenes. However, even though sensual scenes and romance do exist in the narrative, it is not in this context.
Alex (Oliver Aquino) goes to Taipei and leaves his pregnant girlfriend. Escaping not only the responsibility of a would-be-father but also old wounds reopened, he also starts to frequent a bar where he become friends with an openly gay bartender, Jerry (Ta Su). The latter is also a student who belongs to the Atayal tribe, a group of Taiwanese aborigines. He is the son of the tribe chieftain, and is therefore, expected to carry certain responsibilities like being a future father to continue their family's lineage.
Most of the film is beautifully shot, save for one or two drone shots where grain is very visible. Though the pacing is somewhat slow, it makes the budding bromance between the two protagonists more powerful. From being a familiar face in the bar, Alex eventually does an odd job for Jerry and goes with him for a ride. However, an unanswered question is why Jerry chose to unburden his fears with someone he has only known for a while instead of talking to his longtime partner.
Jerry has a boyfriend and there's this party scene with a female friend involving tequila shots which are very erotic even though there's no nudity involved. However, the whole narrative would've worked without this scene. Also, this is probably the most visually polished film of Altarejos.
Tale of the Lost Boys brings imbues the issue of the LGBT with a cultural dynamic, and reminds us that like Alex, we alter our narratives and get lost in our lies only to find our way back to the beginning of the maze when we meet someone as lost as us, leaving us with a shared experience to be remembered for life.
RATING: 3.5/5
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