THE LOVE THAT DARE NOT SPEAK ITS NAME – 2021 – Hong Kong

BLISS RATING: ★★★★+

“Have thy will, I am the Love that dare not speak its name.” – Two Loves by Lord Alfred Douglas

Wow! I did not think it was possible to tell a compete story in 20 minutes. However, this sonnet certainly did. It is a poetic and beautiful story of two friends who in real life have gone under the radar and are living their lives in quiet solitude yet with a basic feeling of complete contentment. Honestly, this is a beautiful story

They started out as college roommates. Both with different personalities yet seem to complement each other. Over the years, they get to know intensively each other’s nuances, moods, likes, dislikes, and personal habits. They maintain a relationship even after college and are truly inseparable. They fit together like a hand in a glove. One is an office worker (Oscar Fong) and the other is a cafe owner (Coleman Chan).

This goes on for some time until one of them finally confesses to the other what has been obvious for years. He tells him he loves him but if he does not feel the same way, they can still be friends. He does this as he would be speaking to him and asking him what he wanted for dinner. The affect is the same because they know each other so well and so perfectly. The other one asks him over and never really says that he loves him but rambles incessantly. It is apparent that he is nervous and does not know how to say it but has been in love with him from the beginning as well. Finally, the other one grabs him and kisses him and says, “you talk too much”; you see the smile on his face and the sense of relief that he does not now have to say it, but the feeling is there. It is the exact meaning and definition of the title of this sonnet.

The story is so filled with relatable individuals and in a caressing way tells a story of their deep love for each other in a mundane and ordinary way. We see them connecting not through snippets in life but through the everyday routines of living. They complement, supplement, and are each other’s companion in living every day. These guys are so ordinary that they are unnoticeable and blend into the walls around them. 

Their world is simply each other and has been that way. Until one finally takes the step of moving it along. This could have been a sad story, but it is not because it was presented in such tender relatable ways that shows these guys will be together forever. With or without sex. We can now, however, imagine that they have taken it to the next level where the physical component of their relationship will now be consummated. After all, every other aspect of their lives has been. These guys are soulmates in every definition of that word. They have created their world by living it together and accepting each other at their core level. 

Who really S.T.O.L.E. the series?  Both these actors did. They do not give character names in the series so Oscar and Coleman simply represent us – any and all of us. The chemistry between the characters AND the actors was so real, organic, and mesmerizingly believable that it felt like we were intruding on their world by watching. It was as if they were not acting but documenting a quiet, devoted, and yes passionate love for each other without ever saying the word. Until now. Their world is so peaceful and matter-of-fact.

This is an astonishing and creative sonnet of love told with quiet dignity and complete commitment without ever seeing the other one in less than loving terms. This is the truest and most beautiful creation of love I have seen told to us in 20 minutes that we can all learn from. 

Love may not necessarily be loud or dramatic or moves mountains. Sometimes it is manifested by giving the one you love a piece of cheesecake, or a word of encouragement, or even sitting next to him teasing him. It is gentle and ordinary!

Do I wish this was longer? Sure! I wanted to see these guys be themselves as a complete couple.

Watching this series, for me, was like listening to a Gregorian Chant (yes, I still love some of the trappings of the Catholic Church). You do not need a lot of notes, just enough so they blend in harmony to make beautiful music. And this is what happens here. Two people in softness connect with such beauty on an intimate level that their lives sing with love.