EuroTrip (2004)

This is a story about Scott Thomas (Scott Mechlowicz) who is devastated after being dumped by his girlfriend Fiona (Kristin Kreuk) who has been sleeping with the lead singer of a college band (Matt Damon). To avoid more humiliating pains, he joins his three friends -- Cooper Harris (Jacob Pitts), Jenny (Michelle Trachtenberg) and Jamie (Travis Wester) -- travel across Europe in search of his German pen pal Mieke (Jessica Böhrs), whom he initially mistakes for a guy, when "he" is really a girl. Realizing he has feelings for her, they visit London, Paris, Amsterdam, Bratislava, Berlin, and Rome, getting into all manner of awkward and embarrassing situations along the way.

EUROTRIP is a 2004 American comedy that is really surprisingly hilarious and what makes it really funny in general are the wrong notions of Americans about Europe and the Europeans. Unfortunately, it’s not for family viewing as some scenes and some of the languages used are not meant for minors.

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Bōizu Rabu - ボーイズ ラブ (2006)

平凡な毎日を送る雑誌編集者・間宮諦信(小谷嘉一)が、偶然取材で出逢った人気高校生モデル・如月のえる(斎藤工)。態度こそ乱暴なものの、のえるが描いた海のイラストに強く惹かれた間宮は、取材後食事を共にし意気投合するが、そのレストランのトイレで、のえるは性急に間宮の身体を求め出す。翌朝、編集部にのえるの事務所から「担当者が無礼を働いた。謝罪に来い」との電話が入る。のえるの家に謝罪に行く間宮だったが、そこで見たものは薄汚い男と交わるのえるの姿だった…。

Just doing his job, magazine editor Taishin Mamiya (Yoshikazu Kotani) interviews high school model Noeru Kisaragi (Takumi Saito). Despite Noeru's bad attitude, an enchanting picture of the ocean he draws leads Mamiya to invite him out for dinner afterwards. They connect at the restaurant, but while in the toilet there Noeru solicits Mamiya sexually. The next morning, Noeru's office calls the magazine office where Mamiya works. "Your editor was rude. Have him come and apologize." When Mamiya goes to Noeru's house to deliver the apology, he sees Noeru with a dirty-looking man. Mamiya is shocked to discover at that moment that his interest in Noeru goes beyond article research -- he truly wants to know more about him.

ボーイズ ラブ (BOYS LOVE, internationally) is a very absorbing dramatic feature from Japan despite some flaws which are actually tolerable. What I really like about the film are the great quotations they used to put emphasis on particular scenarios. The result was so successful that a sequel is actually in the making (if not finished yet) retaining the character of Mamiya. I keep my fingers crossed that I get copy of the sequel the moment it becomes available.

(In JAPANESE with ENGLISH subtitles)

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