Ray Yeung's feature takes a fresh look at the British gay scene, focusing on the lives of two Chinese boys who find themselves forced to re-evaluate their lifestyles. Sweet, hilarious and touching, it’s a gay film that has crossover appeal, even if its subject matter doesn’t always paint London gay life in an attractive light.

Former college chums Mel and Ash attend the funeral of Gavin, a fellow student and computer programmer, whose hobbies included flower arranging and fashion design. Both Mel and Ash have very different attitudes to life, but both call into question what being gay is all about, thanks to the death of their closeted friend.

Mel is a fashion-obsessed scene queen whose life is one long catwalk. He rejects the love of Todd, a beautifully toned, but innocent Welsh lad who moves to London to be with him, in favour of a life of one night stands and general indulgence. But what happens when Todd begins to adapt to a life on the London scene and encroaches on his territory?

Uber-camp Ash, on the other hand, is sick of the scene and its obsession with looks and age. Meeting Diane, a transsexual also from their college days who has hooked up with a butch army type, Ash hits on the idea of dragging up to nab himself a man.

Performance-wise, Cut Sleeve Boys is something of bag of remnants; end of line rather than Haute Couteur. But while acting may not be their strong point, their personalities and charm win through.

It’s a case of triumph over adversity in the case of our two leads (Chowee Leow and Steven Lim) who battle with what on paper appears to be quite shallow and unlikeable characters to win our affection. On a purely shallow level, special mention must also go to the duel charms of Gareth Rhys Davies (Todd) and Neill Collie (Ross).

Humour is often broad (misplaced wigs and fake breasts provide belly laughs), sometimes obvious (Diane is going out with Ross – geddit?) and sometimes black (Gavin’s death by poppers). But most of all Cut Sleeve Boys is simply a witty delight. The script is also peppered with great on liners like, ‘No matter how butch they are, there’s always a Farah Fawcett in there, waiting to blow dry their hair’. Wise words indeed.

And if you’re wondering, the title refers to the legend of the Chinese Emperor who awoke to find his favourite concubine asleep on his sleeve. Enchanted by this, the Emperor cut it off the sleeve to prove his love for the boy was deep.

Find out more at www.cutsleeveboys.com.

Cut Sleeve Boys [2006]
Label: TLA Releasing
Released: 14 May 2007
ASIN: B000NAY468

Buy Cut Sleeve Boys online now and make your own mind up about the first gay British Chinese movie. Get it online and save yourself some money to put other queer movies like Hard Pill, Garçon Stupide, Loggerheads, Parallel Sons, Hellbent, Slutty Summer, Happy Endings, A Year Without Love, Latter Days, Eating Out, Regular Guys and Cowboys & Angels.