Summary
Cut Sleeve Boys is a 2006 feature film written, produced and directed by Ray Yeung. The comedy follows the lives of two gay Asian best friends Mel (Steven Lim) and Ash (Chowee Leow) as they negotiate the gay scene of London.
| Cut Sleeve Boys | |
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| Directed by | Ray Yeung |
| Written by | Ray Yeung |
| Produced by |
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| Cinematography | Patrick Duval |
| Edited by |
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| Music by | Paul Turner |
Release date |
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Plot edit
Mel and Ash are two British Chinese gay men who were at college together. After attending the funeral of a long lost friend, Gavin, a closet case from their university days, they start examining their lives. Mel, an aging muscle boy who wants to stay in the scene and party forever, rejects the love of Todd, because he thinks Todd is too provincial and not sophisticated enough for the metropolitan lifestyle. Ash is unable to find a boyfriend, because he is considered too effeminate for the “macho” gay scene. Following a chance encounter with Diane, a transsexual from their college days with a straight-acting lover, Ross, Ash decides to try cross-dressing. To his surprise, Ash finds that, in the West, an Asian woman is considered far more desirable than an Asian man. Cut Sleeve Boys is a quirky satire on the gay scene's obsession with masculinity. It is a journey of self discovery for the two British Chinese protagonists, both having abandoned their individual identities in order to fit in.
Cast edit
- Chowee Leow as Ashley Wang
- Steven David Lim as Melvin Shu
- Gareth Rhys Davis as Todd Charrington
- Neil Collie as Ross Foreman
- John Campbell as Diane/Dan
- Mark Hampton as Gavin Chan
- Paul Cox as Brad
Release edit
- Cut Sleeve Boys premiered in January 2006 at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. The film was represented by Fortissimo Films for World Sales. It was sold to the USA, UK, Portugal, France, German speaking Europe, Benelux, Thailand, Taiwan and Philippines. The film had cinematic release in Bangkok and Taipei.[citation needed]
- Regent Releasing released the film in cinemas across USA including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis and Hollywood. Cut Sleeve Boys was also broadcast on Here! TV and Logo TV.[citation needed]
- TLA Releasing UK released the film in the United Kingdom.[1]
- It screened in over 30 film festivals around the world including the Hong Kong International Film Festival, Bangkok International Film Festival, and Taipei Film Festival.
Reception edit
Critics gave the film mixed reviews. Cut Sleeve Boys holds a 42% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[2] Phil Hall from Film Threat wrote "Something of a surprise: a gay-oriented feature that is genuinely touching and sincere."[3] Ken Fox from TV Guide wrote, "It's pretty much gay business as usual."[4] Paul Malcolm from LA Weekly said, "Yeung handles [his characters'] parallel journeys of self-discovery with humor, grace and an occasionally heavy hand, with Leow giving a winning performance as Ash."[5] Rich Cline from Shadows on The Wall indicates the film as "surprisingly endearing as it tries to examine the nature of masculinity in a seriously un-masculine subculture."[6]
Awards edit
References edit
- ^ Releasing, T. L. A. (2013-06-08), Cut Sleeve Boys Official Trailer - TLA Releasing UK, retrieved 2019-11-13
- ^ Cut Sleeve Boys (2007), retrieved 16 August 2021
- ^ "CUT SLEEVE BOYS | Film Threat". 2007-08-25. Retrieved 2019-11-12.
- ^ "Cut Sleeve Boys | TV Guide". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2019-11-12.
- ^ Cut Sleeve Boys, retrieved 2019-11-12
- ^ "Shadows on the Wall | Arthouse Films". www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk. Retrieved 2019-11-13.
- ^ McNary, Dave (2006-12-07). "'Cut Sleeve Boys' wins top prize at Fusion Festival". Variety. Retrieved 2019-11-12.
- ^ a b "CUT SLEEVE BOYS". www.cutsleeveboys-themovie.com. Retrieved 2019-11-12.
External links edit
- Official website
- "Cut Sleeve Boys" Fortissimo Films (distributor)
- Cut Sleeve Boys at IMDb
