Very bad acting and even worse editing. Very slow pace with a lot of gratuitous nudity, nice athletic bodies of young Asian men but otherwise nothing much to see here. Tackles the philosophical questions surrounding homosexuality and religion, monogamy, bisexuality... but all very superficially. Had a lot of potential but lacks to generate any sense of feeling or attachment to the characters, which are super under-developed. The girlfriend is almost a caricature, the "Sister" seems to come from another film, and the 2 main men develop a love relationship is less than a minute... If you are extremely romantic & you enjoy Asian nudity, you MIGHT like this movie.
3 Reviews
I really liked it
Gordon-112 October 2016
This film tells the story of a university student in Hong Kong, who lives with his mother and has a Catholic girlfriend. One day, he attends a class on Greek philosophy, and he gets intrigued by the professor. Deeper and deeper, he is drawn into the mysterious world of sexual seduction.
"Utopians" is quite different from the recent Scud films. It has philosophical, religious and political elements in it, which is the first time for Scud's films. The story is told in a linear way, making it very easy to understand. The university Student, Hins, is very likable, and I think people can relate to him and his experiences of self discovery. The girlfriend is an interesting character too, and plays a pivotal role in the story. I like the ending, it is a bit of a surprise for me. The courthouse scene moved me to tears because it is very touching. I notice that several scenes are continuous long shots, such as the first scene, and also the beach scene where San Sebastian is tied up on a tree. The artistic elements in "Utopians" are pronounced, even for the non discerning eyes.
I also like the fact that there is a mix of Cantonese and Mandarin, and some speaking in their native language and some as a foreign tongue. I think this promotes acceptance and harmony within the divided Hong Kong, which is something that is somewhat related to the point of the film.
This film is accessible, light and engaging. I enjoyed it very much.
"Utopians" is quite different from the recent Scud films. It has philosophical, religious and political elements in it, which is the first time for Scud's films. The story is told in a linear way, making it very easy to understand. The university Student, Hins, is very likable, and I think people can relate to him and his experiences of self discovery. The girlfriend is an interesting character too, and plays a pivotal role in the story. I like the ending, it is a bit of a surprise for me. The courthouse scene moved me to tears because it is very touching. I notice that several scenes are continuous long shots, such as the first scene, and also the beach scene where San Sebastian is tied up on a tree. The artistic elements in "Utopians" are pronounced, even for the non discerning eyes.
I also like the fact that there is a mix of Cantonese and Mandarin, and some speaking in their native language and some as a foreign tongue. I think this promotes acceptance and harmony within the divided Hong Kong, which is something that is somewhat related to the point of the film.
This film is accessible, light and engaging. I enjoyed it very much.
I like it
diamondhumes28 July 2022
I think it was a great film, the acting wasn't the best but I think they delivered the plot really well. WARNING this is not a light hearted bl it has a LOT of nudity, and there's mention an talks about religion and philosophy so if that's not your kind of thing you may find it a bit boring.
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