DVD Review - I Miss You When I See You

I think this film is like a Chinese version of A Single Man (2009). That 2009, Oscar-nominated flick was about a gay professor who is depressed about a past relationship, while having flirtations with a potentially, younger lover. This story, written and directed by queer, Hong Kong filmmaker Simon Chung, is similar. Instead of a professor, his protagonist is merely a tutor, teaching English. Chung's main character isn't suicidal, given that his past relationship isn't with someone who's dead. His past relationship is instead with a closeted businessman who has a girlfriend. Yes, while this is Chung's A Single Man, it doesn't quite have the style of that Tom Ford film. Ford was rather lavish with the costumes, the hair, the makeup, the art direction in general and the production design. Here, Chung isn't so lavish. He goes for a more gritty realism. Yet, most of the shots here are filmed with a haze or the lighting is such that there is a dream-like quality to the whole piece.

Jun Li stars as Kevin Fang, an English tutor who is now on medication for his depression. Kevin is from Hong Kong but he left and now lives in Australia. At present,  Kevin is in some kind of outpatient, mental facility or perhaps a halfway house where Kevin is in recovery for his depression. One day, he gets a visit from a former friend who claims to have been searching for him, ever since finding out Kevin was hospitalized. It's not clear if there was an incident that prompted Kevin to go to this halfway house, but he seems to be able to come and go as he pleases. When his friend visits, taking him out to dinner and reminding him of the past, Kevin decides to follow his friend all the way back to Hong Kong to live again.

Bryant Mak Chi Lok co-stars as Jamie Lau, the aforementioned friend who visits Kevin in Australia. Jamie wanted to be a travel writer but instead went into business, working in marketing for a time. He has a girlfriend named Elaine, played by Candy Cheung, who becomes a bit suspicious of the time that Jamie spends with Kevin. Kevin tries to reconnect with Jamie but things change when Elaine announces she wants to move to Shanghai and wants Jamie to go with her.

Ronny Yuen also co-stars as Fai, the student who Kevin tutors. Fai develops feelings for Kevin. If this were A Single Man, Fai would be the equivalent to Kenny Potter, the character played by Nicholas Hoult. Obviously, Kevin would be the equivalent to George Falconer, the character played by Colin Firth. Like both films, the teacher and student consider having a sexual fling but neither cross the line, at least not totally.

Chung's film is never about the luridness of such a fling, but it's more about Kevin overcoming his grief and depression, while slightly being about these two men, meaning Kevin and Jamie, coming to terms with their feelings for each other. In A Single Man, there was the threat of suicide that loomed ominously over that film. Here, the threat isn't as severe, but yet still as deadly. As has been noted in other gay films and within the gay community, sex can be an outlet or a diversion for frustrated or unresolved issues. Whereas George Falconer in A Single Man never pulls the trigger in literal and figurative ways, here Kevin does. Because of which, he gets a harsh wakeup call in a doctor's obvious getting asked probing questions in preparation for a STD test.

Not Rated but contains sexual situations and nudity.
Running Time: 1 hr. and 33 mins.

Available on VOD on December 11.
Available on DVD on December 18.