Reviews

I am not a fan of Woody Allen, but I do watch his movies from time to time. This particular movie is quite a gem, as it does not feature Woody Allen's needy Jewish guy character. But... Owen Wilson is not the right person for the role. He made what would be a nice sophisticated romance movie into a run-in-the-mill romantic comedy. At least romantic comedies are funny... This is not.

How can a movie with all the right elements: Great settings, great story, great plot and plot devices, go so wrong? Because the central character is wrong. I almost wished Woody Allen's usual character is the protagonist. I would have believed in the movie more.

I thought it was a great movie, beautiful shots, bold statements. Why should every love story be about happy endings? This is about a woman who was abandoned as a child, and cannot believe that anyone would truly love her. Her first and only love wouldn't touch her. Her first attempt at selling herself was disastrous. Naturally, when finally a right person comes along, she runs as far as she can.

I hated that she sold her body to earn her school fees. But yet, I understand that deeper than needing the money, she craved the touch of a man. The only man she would ever love never touched her, never kissed her, never satisfied her. Turns out he loved her with all his heart, but can never love her with his body.

I hated that she cheated with this other man who turns out like a douche. BUt yet, I understand why she could not get away from him. His strong assertive nature, his flair and his no strings attached made her feel empowered. He was willing to give her what her true love cannot.

This is a very beautifully shot movie. THe colours, the atmosphere, the locations are just stellar. It doesn't need the big budget stuff. In fact, the only spectacular crane shot was from the very beginning. And I was mighty impressed. Simplicity is the key to sophistication.

Barbie Hsu, Eddie Peng and Zhang Xiao Quan did a fantastic job in my book.Barbie just blows my mind away. No need for over-emoting, no need for huge dramatic declarations. ALL her acting is in her eyes, almost like a female Tony Leung.

I understand why it may be a little confusing, and almost unrealistic. But truth is sometimes stranger than fiction. And this completely new take on love relationships is refreshing and gritty. The only thing that didn't work for me was the movie's namesake (In Mandarin, it says Love, practiced with musical notes), the DO-RE-MI act breaks did not add to the story at all, rather, it is almost distracting and out of place.

Definitely deserves my 9. And those that have not seen it. Give it a go.

P/S: Film scoring I like very much. It is the sounds of Mavis Fan.

I just want to say that I noticed the show because I am a big big fan of Sarah Shahi. And watched the pilot for the same reason. But I am sure glad I did, because I became hooked to it and wished the episodes would come out sooner.

I hate horror/ghost shows, movies or TV. I am just a chicken at heart and cannot stand being spooked. But this show is really refreshing as it does not go for cheap thrills like in so many other horror shows. Instead, it explores the different themes and urban legends. Yes, it might sound clichéd. But it is really interesting for me that they explored the different legends.

The best part is, I can sit thru the whole entire show without haven't my guts jump out at every turn.

True that they need to feature less teen beautiful girls. But at least it doesn't play out like other shows that the leads get to wine, dine and bed the girls in different episodes. Contrary, it is very refreshing to see a show that does not have a boy-girl relationship going on.

I like the writing of the story, it is paced pretty well. I also like the acting, easy and comfortable. But what grabs me most is the high production value they have. great shots and great lighting.

One bad point though... the special effects could be a lot better. And the editor has to take note that the blue screens still can be spotted. Please do a cleaner job in taking out the blue screens.

I like to end saying that I love Sarah Shahi even more now. Because she has led me to a show that is totally worth watching.

I would consider myself an Agnostic Theist. I truly believe that there is something out there, however, I do not believe in organized religion. And that is what's wonderful about Bill Maher's documentary. The questions he asked, are the questions I throw out on a regular basis, especially when I am being preached to.

While it is true that the documentary is very skewed, I also expected no less from Mr. Maher himself. In fact, I am pleasantly surprise at how mild he is with his interviewees, considering how opinionated he is on "Real Time".

And while this documentary does not teach me anything new about the religions (I don't think it is meant to), it does show the humanistic side of it. The believers truly believe, and it is a rather touching thought, though a very scary one.

The followers in the truck stop chapel were surprisingly nice, and it comforts me to know that there are big hearted Christians out there who allows the difference of opinion.

And I am mostly unsurprised at the insights of the two catholic priests, one tells of how it is impossible to have science in the Bible, and another essentially stating that the stories in the Bible are 'pfff'. They understand that the stories in the Bible are metaphorical, and they are not to be taken literally (or literacy as the senator said). And that to me makes the most sense in the entire documentary.

I liked this documentary. It's very Bill Maher, but it is definitely not for the believers. But for what it is worth, I actually hoped that he took on a more ridiculing tone in it. It feels a little neither here nor there. I would say that if he wanted to go all the way, he should have gone all the way!

Isn't what life is all about? Dealing with decisions made without regret? I don't know about others, but I find this completely refreshing and utterly different from all Western takes on Lesbianism.

There isn't one villain in the entire story, all conflicts and all problems are internal, making it completely realistic and real. No one is there to 'seperate' them, but they have to deal with the consequences of leading a gay life.

I am Asian, and can completely understand the perils of coming out and frowns of society in Asia.

About the story. This is an adaptation from a manga of the same title, Love My Life. It stars Yoshii Rei as Ichiko and Asami Imajuku as Eriko, who are two university students deeply in love. Ichiko decides to come out to her father, and finds out that her parents were both gay, and got married to start a family. This serves as the first consequence of the decision she made.

Like in the film, Ichiko narrates that "When you make a decision, you have to deal with the consequence, and it would be like dominoes falling, a chain reaction that seems never ending". She meets her deceased mother's lover, meets her father's lover, meet with the disapproval of Eriko's father and on top of it all, has to deal with school and her job.

The cinematographer seems very interested in the voyeuristic aspect of life, as if the audience are a fly on the wall in the everyday lives of Ichiko and Eriko. With this in mind, it doesn't really matter if the lighting is a little off sometimes, or that there are parts that are blown out. Or even if the edits are not too perfect... These are not important stuff. These are minor... The story is the gem...

Speaking of story, Manga, though branded a lot of times as juvenile and childish, sometimes has the best stories, they don't have to keep up with pretenses, they tell a story the best way they know how, and this is reflected in this film.

Nice, fluffy, realistic, romantic. It doesn't have the melodrama of Western films, doesn't have the angst and problems of other gay (western) films... it has a sincerity that is very rarely reflected even in other Japanese film.

I think it is great, and probably if you are not too concerned about it resembling anything like Hollywood or American Independent movies, you will understand the Gem that is hidden away in Little Japan.

I give it an excellent grade. And will now go hunt for the manga.

I just recently watched this movie on IFC. And was pleasantly surprise when i first started watching it. But as it progressed, it just boggles me at the execution of it.

Firstly, commendable performance from Jessica Alba. I am from Singapore, and the setting is close to my heart. For an American, she has definitely convinced me that she was local. Her accent is shaky, but then again, what's the right accent? But i think she played the role well. The other actors however, feels pretty flat. No ups no downs.

Secondly, for the genre and the setting, this movie can be so much more. The script is very flat, the highs are not high enough, and the lows are not gripping enough. I do not feel for the characters, and I do not care for what this young British is going through.

Thirdly, I couldn't tell that this takes place in the Malayan archipelago until I was told so in the movie. It just seems so contrive, for the lack of a better word. I should be angry, I should feel sad, I should feel that this is the most unfair world to live in. Yet... All i could see is, Jessica Alba doing a great job.

I wish someone would re-write this screenplay, and add to this story, take away the crap that is completely unnecessary and make this as magical as it potentially could be.

I don't think Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was that great. It sucked really bad IMO, and I had preferred Tsui Hark's works from the good old days. And recently, all these so-called Chinese Epic Dramas, they are so blatantly catered for Hollywood, that I actually laugh at their attempts of defending themselves. Well, if you look pass the obvious catering for the western market, you could find some gems, like "Hero" was magnificent, and "House of the Flying Daggers" was not too bad, but the other attempts, shall just slip away into oblivious history.

That being said, I was pleasantly and gratefully surprise at "The Banquet". When I heard that it was in production, I was anticipating it (just like I did with all the other Epics that promised but does not deliver), mainly because I heard of the stellar cast for the movie, Zhou Xun, Daniel Wu, Ge You, Huang Xiaoming(okay he is cute) and I was promised Gong Li. Somehow, I didn't realize that Gong Li was replaced by the younger Zhang Ziyi. That fueled my disappointment and I almost didn't want to watch this movie, if not for the great love I had for the other cast members.

The difference between this one and it's overly pretentious predecessors, is that it has a little of everything but does not over do anything. It has a play of colors, but not as brutally used as "Hero". It has beautifully choreographed fight scenes, but not as overly-enthusiastic as "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". It has remarkable sets and astounding scenery, but not shamelessly used like "House of the hidden daggers". It has beautiful costumes, but not ridiculously extravagant as "The Promise", I could go on and on, but it doesn't matter, what matters is that this movie, has everything in an appropriate proportion.

Well, maybe not everything, I wish there were lesser scenes with the adequate but nothing great Zhang ZiYi. I understand that Ziyi Zhang is the name the westerners would recognized the most, thus the hard sell, but seriously, the more they focus on her, the more it is obvious that she is only an adequate actress. Some may say that she excelled in this role, well, this role is tailored for Miss Zhang, if she did less than what she did, she really doesn't deserve any recognition at all. That being said, I believe that I can name at least 3 other Chinese actresses that could have done an equal or even better job then Miss Zhang would ever do.

Zhou Xun, who plays Qing Nu, on the other hand, is perfect (well, in my eyes anyway), all previous roles she had done, "Perhaps Love", "Suzhou River" had proved her versatility. Here, she is saccharine sweetness, not pitiful, nor sympathetic. In the little screen time she had, she had shown a powerful character. Longing for her prince, but not to the point of wimpy. In fact, the purest form of acting (as shown by Zhou Xun) is not emoting by practiced expressions (like Zhang) but emoting by just a stare, a look, just the eyes told an endless tale.

Ge You, a respected actor, proved once again that he is a great actor of his time. He was believable as the king in lust for his queen, the old saying "The kingdom or the beauty" is well portrayed by Ge. Even that forced ending where he drinks the poison that the Empress bestowed him, was quite heart-wrenching, and human really.

Daniel Wu, a brilliant young actor, is sadly under used in this movie. His character proves too one-dimensional, and if not for the great acting Wu pulled off, I would have said sheesh. Huang Xiaoming, a new actor, is someone to look out for, handsome, dashing, and mostly, great acting.

As much as Hamlet is referenced, and mentioned over and over again by literally everyone, I don't see much of a resemblance. I can see the plot line being similar, but then again, isn't there like a million movies out there that has similar plots? Maybe I am just a sucker for period movies from the early 50s to recently, but I can clearly remember many movies that has similar plot lines and story arcs. I find this movie even more similar to "The King and the Clown", the korean movie of 2005 (Watch it... it is magnificent), in the way they used theatre from the first scene to the end, where they used theatre to tell the treachercous story of betrayal and usurped. "The King and the Clown" is probably the only period drama of that era from recent times taht is worth more salt then "The Banquet". And anyone who enjoyed, or thought that "The Banquet" sucked, should watch "The King and the Clown"

Feng XiaoGang, whom I adore, pulled off this wonderful epic, the best in recent years. My only complain would be, and that is true about almost every Chinese movie to hit the screens is the weak and anti-climatic ending of the 3rd act. This movie is adequate enough, if they did not add that awful monologue that Miss ZHang goes into, but it was quick to redeem itself with that "Who killed the Empress" ending. All in all, an awesome movie with an awesome cast.

I have never liked the 70s and the 80s, I think these are the eras of mistakes. BUT "The Blue Lagoon" is not a mistake. It is one of the best ever movies that came out of that era, and probably the few good things that ever did survive.

It is simple, nothing fancy, the plot is convincing (Probably because of the direct adaptation from the highly successful book), and the acting of the two teenage actors are superb.

I wonder why they never make movies as simple as this one anymore? Survival, love, dependency, courage, fear, and growing up, the themes of this movie is universal, and yet woven together in a nicely paced movie without the complications of the modern world. But even in that primitive land, is it without complications?

Watch this movie, save for the dated hairstyles, you can watch this 30 years later and still it would be beautiful and easily understandable. What am I saying, it is almost 30 years later!

I have always been fascinated by the story of Elizabeth Short ever since I accidentally read her story on the net. And when I heard of "The Black Dahlia", I am so excited and had been following it's progress from the beginning. What gets me most excited is the fact that the director is Brian De Palma, and great casts galore, like Mia Kirshner, Hilary Swank, Fiona Shaw, and eye candy like Scarlett Johansson and Josh Hartnett.

So can you imagine my disappointment with the movie when I actually saw it? I don't know, I think it might be because I expected too much from the movie. It's a major letdown.

Firstly, commendable effort to make the film stylistic and true to the noir era of films. But, somehow, it comes off too fake, to purposeful.

Then the acting, especially of the lead characters like Bucky and Lee, Kay and Madeleine. It felt like they took a crash course on "Acting like Humphrey Bogart and Eva Garbo." While the great Humphrey Bogart believed in his roles as the brooding lead man, Josh Hartnett didn't believe in his role, he believed in his ability to pretend to be a Humphrey Bogart. It comes across so forced. And god, how many times has he got to cry, he is a sensitive guy, we get it, lets move on.

Scarlett Johansson did a mighty find job, but so useless in this confusing plot line. Hilary Swank, well, convincing enough as the femme fatale, but not intriguing enough for me to actually believe Bucky's obsession.

In fact, the whole movie is a mystery to me, why did Bucky do what he did, there wasn't any emotions on his face to suggest anyway. To me, he just looks good in suspenders.

Special mention to Mia Kirshner as Elizabeth Short. Her short segments in black and white is the only thing that is convincing, her enigma shines true and you believed why Lee and Bucky could be so obsessed with her. I really don't see how they could compare Mia Kirshner to Hilary Swank. Seriously, are we suppose to believe that they look alike just because the characters in the story repeated drummed that information in our head?

So many things are so pretentious and so many irrelevance. Sometimes a 'clever' movie will turn out really stupid if it tries to be too clever. Watch this movie, it's entertaining, but don't expect much from it.

I am a Big Zhou Xun fan. And the reason i picked up this DVD is so that I could catch a glimpse of my goddess. Not contented to be a star chasing freak... I decided that i should watch the show without any prejudice and biasness. But in the end. All i could think about was Zhou Xun's eyes. So haunting and defiant.

This show is about the two sisters Fei(ZHou Xun) and Ying(Vivian Wu). Ying needs Fei just as much as Fei needs Ying. Both has an agenda. yet... they also bond emotionally. This causes a tip in the psychological scale. Throw in a dashing Mr Huang(Wang Zhiwen) and you have all the emotional tensions running wild...

This story is very simple. Yet it is not simple. There are so many emotions going on. Yet written so plainly on the face of Fei and Ying that you immediately understand what is going on in their minds. Throw in the narrative(which is completely unnecessary save for the fact that Zhou Xun sounds good) and nothing is left to the imagination. Instead, you will start to focus on the visual treats. How every detail of that era, down to the awful 'birdcage earrings' are portrayed so effortlessly. You are dragged into this world of where splendor and class means so much... yet bothered because at the backdrop you know that all this glory is going to be gone in an instant.

The performances by the two leading ladies are so intense that you feel for them a lot. You will not feel sadness, sympathy, hatred, love etc. Instead, you would know exactly what causes them to do certain things.

This is one of the worst reviews i wrote. Because i have totally no idea what i am saying. I have so much to say but words fail me drastically. I should end with this note. Watch this movie if you are a Zhou Xun fan, and if you are not, you will become one after this movie.

P/S. Hate the ending. Seems like Chinese movies do not really know how to end a story.

After reading the many reviews here. I am seriously baffled by how everyone is dissing the movie. It seriously seems to me that everyone commented on how Keanu suck for the sake of commenting... Truth is, i truly enjoy Keanu's performance. His sarcastic remarks and wise cracks really got me tickled and laughing. His performance was really commendable. I would never have imagined another person in this role.(I did not read the original comic) The other characters were super too. Rachel Weisz was good(I am sorry, i don't share the extreme views of her being really great and stuff). But i somehow think that if she wasn't so serious, it would be a whole lot better. Tilda Swinton(Gabriel) was hilarious, i totally love her serious look when she wise cracks. The one thing that bothered me was each character seem to be 2-dimensional... like Lucifer, seems so conveniently planted there at the end to serve as a happy ending.

The CGI and dialog makes up a really good movie. Helps with great cinematography and directions. There are a lot of loop holes though... there were a few things that went unexplained and therefore baffled viewers. Can anyone explain to me... HOw does the half-breeds come to this world? And there were facts that were distorted rite? Great movie.... I watched it twice. I admit it could have been better. BUt i Definitedly enjoyed it better then matrix or LOTR.

I went to watch 2046 after reading millions and millions of interviews and reviews... seriously, it was really difficult to keep an open mind about a movie as talked about as this... imagine 5 years of anticipation.

I started watching trying my very best to keep an open mind, but after a while... i realize i din have to, gradually, my mind just goes on this journey with the story, gone were the reviews and interviews and comments. During the movie, i did not think about anything else except wat was happening in the movie. There is so much in this movie that i think i could write a novel about it.

This movie is about perceptions and memories. how a memory can dictate the way a person lives his or her life. The stories of the many girls are seen thru the eyes of the charismatic and talented Tony Leung. There are many girls in his life. All these girls have a story, a story as seen and perceived by Zhou Mu Yun.

The first story would definitely be the story of the first Su Li Zhen (Maggie Cheung) and Zhou Mu Yun, this is the story that shaped Zhou's life, even though in this movie, Maggie only appears in a few shots. but the basis is all laid out in "In the Mood for Love".

The second story is lulu's (Carina Lau) story. The meeting described by Zhou took place in the time span after "Days of Being Wild". I find it such a pity that Wong Kar Wai edited out so much of Lulu's story. I would really wish to have seen more of it.

Then there is the story of the second Su Li Zhen in Singapore. The mysterious woman who wears one black glove. Zhou finds new solace in her. Using her to fill up the gap left by the first Su.

The saddest story in in movie will have to be Bai Yun's(ZHang ZiYi). She definite loves Zhou with all her heart, but he treats her like a pro. At some point in the movie, i wanted to slap both Bai and Zhou. Bai for being so lovelorn, and Zhou for being so stupid, the girls he love wouldn't leave with him, now the girl that loves him so much, he refused her over and over.

The last, and definitely my favourite story would definitely be Wong Jing Wen's(Faye Wong), any mandarin speaking person would know that Wong Jing Wen is the moniker Faye Wong went with when she first started singing. Anyway... all these while i never thought Faye could act, but i guess with no anticipation, there wont be disappointment. And Faye proved that her portrayal of the hotel proprietor's daughter. Wong is the only woman in the movie that is not romantically linked to Zhou, although it was hinted that he was in love with her. Wong and her Japanese boyfriend(Takuya Kimura) were in love but Proprietor Wong refused to even meet the boy. Undaunted Takuya asked Wong to leave with him, but her refusal to give him an answer span the very basis of 2046, which Zhou aptly named "2047" in the movie. *grinz*

*Self-Indulgent Note* I am the Biggest fan of the late Jeanette Lin Tsai from the 50's Cathay era. And i have always felt that Faye looks a whole lot like her. But i will be kissing the ground that Wong Kar Wai step on, because he managed to capture Jeanette Lin's essence in Faye. Unwittingly no doubt, but it helped me indulged in a memory that i wish to forever keep in 2046.

I dont know. is it just me? Is this show about a psychopath or a ghost story? Doubts aside... i think it is a very good movie... excellent performance all round. Tong Leung as the jaded and uptight cop is really convincing, I especially love that scene when he thought his wife was cheating on him when actually it was a birthday surprise for him. Lau Ching Wan never fails to amaze me. How could he seem the same yet totally different in every role. He has a distinct style that you would recognise, but somehow it wouldn't feel out of place at all. Special mention to Amy Kwok, who acted as Lau Ching Wan's girlfriend in the show. She is actually Lau's wife in real-life. I love her subtlety. She isn't pretty but exudes a certain charm. Amy Kwok is known as THe most intelligent Miss HongKong, having 2 master degrees...

I am ranting on. Back about the movie. The movie is good. The movie is worth every cent of the money.

I love this movie. It is simple. It is about 2 people who are so meant for each other, but always missed out on meeting each other. The two lead players are so gorgeous, and had so much chemistry, that you just smile everytime you think about the movie. They played their characters very well, interesting and simple. The movie is a straight on adaptation of Jimmy Liao's comic. And it is done very well without becoming boring. The cinematography is so stylistically done that every shot is like a postcard. Definitely one of the movies that i would rewatch over and over.

There is one thing i want to complain about though. The supporting characters are so irritating. They completely spoiled the mood of the movie. Everytime they appear, i cringe and cuss. They are the only thing that keeps the movie from being a perfect ten. that and the dramatic ending that also strays away from the mood of the movie.

OVerall, it is definitely beauty at its simplest.

This is one movie that i have watched many times and still find it really funny... it isnt slapstick like all the stephen chow movies *roll eyes*, it is intectually cheeky and goodwill humour thrown in. Lau Ching-wan and Louis Koo are a joy to watch. Especially the scenes that were really NG stuff put into the movie. But the girls are the ones that bring the whole movie to its height! Carina is still gorgeous after so many years. and she has established herself as a sexy sophisticated career woman. Gigi is very pretty, and i love the 'hng' she snorts everytime sometime dont go her way. I laugh at that everytime. THe dream sequence was pretty hilarious as well. bordering on slapstick but not disgusting like Stephen chow. I find no fault with the movie and enjoyed it tremendously.

This movie is about the best 30 years of a woman's life.

20 - feeling alive and trying new things 30 - feeling jaded and hopes for stability 40 - the rebirth of a women

Sylvia Chang has once again proven herself as a powerful director! The 3 stories intertwine very well, while they don't affect each other, you are never really out of the story because you see the other leads at the background.

Li Sinje proves herself to be a great actress, holding her own aside the older and more established actresses. Her story las alot of sexual tension in it, but somehow in a way that most girls would understand. I admire Rene Liu for her powerful potrayal, it is a Rene that you haven seen before. Sylvia, one great looking 40-something, she just draws you deep into the story...

This is one of the light-hearted taiwanese movie that is rarely seen in taiwanese cinema. Everything about this movie is great. It is very different in style and mood from the last few movies that Sylvia Chang has done before.

One last thing to note. The concept of the movie actually started as an album. One day Rene Liu mentioned to Sylvia Chang, why don't the 3 of them do an album called 20:30:40, make it total girl power album. Sylvia loved the idea, so while making the album. She decided to make it into a movie as well. And boy am I glad she did!!! If not, we wouldn't have 3 award-winning actresses portraying such powerful acting in one of the greatest movie! Worth every cent of the ticket.

In boring old Singapore. It is always refreshing to see French movies. They are almost always romantic in an abstract and unconventional way. Jeux d'enfants is a fine example of this. We in Singapore will never be able to do the things they did in a million years. So we get lost in this alternate world that brings us as far away from reality as possible.

Jeux d'enfants (Love me if you dare) is lovely. You see a love story that is both innocent and complicated. It is definitely on of the best french movies I have come across.

This is the most beautiful Singapore TV series i have ever seen. The shooting style stands far apart from other Singapore serials, but so well done that it is such a visual treat. The acting is natural across the board, the chemistry between all characters, Henry and Orange, Orange and Yeye, Henry and Tequila, Orange and XueQiang etc etc... they did not seem like they were acting. It helps with the witty dialogue. The visuals are great, great looking cast in great looking clothes. No other serial in Singapore has came close of this series. Hoping to see more serials that is like this serial.

BTW, great songs by Fann Wong that fits the mood of the series so well.

This is a beautiful movie. Well played by Zoe Tay and Deng Mao Hui. I cried during the movie. I do agree that it is trying to cramp too many themes into one movie. But the primary theme is certain. It is about a mother and son and their relationship with a tree.

Zoe Tay delivers so beautifully, subtle and convincing as the uneducated mother. Francis Ng seems to fall flat, but still does a fair job. Supporting cast Phyllis Quek and Liu Zhao Ming are great additions to the cast.

Ultimately, it is a great effort by Singapore's Mediacorp Raintree Pictures. Though it would have been better if it had lesser subplots.

I watched the show for only one reason. Because Phyllis Quek is my fave singapore actress. But that did not stop me from enjoying the movie... it is truly entertaining. But, the plot shift to Singapore cause the otherwise great pacing to shift somewhat too. From a well-paced plotline in Hong-kong, the scenes in Singapore seemed really rushed...

Phyllis Quek is stunning, emoting without overacting (doesn't seem convincing from a fan, haha...), Aaron Kwok is alright, but it is tiring watching him act cute. Daniel Wu was great as his innocent friend, but the girlfriend, Gigi Lai, suck so bad. Special mention should go to Francis Ng, who once again proved himself to be one of the best actors in HongKong these days. James Lye, Lin Hoi and Cynthia Koh just provides extra eye candy.

Over all, the movie is promising, but falls flat at the end of the second act.

This is not a movie if you are looking for perfection. Whether in the story, or technically. Instead, watch it only for the experimentalism that the director boldly explored.

There are many technical faults of the movie. Mainly those of the minimal basics. I cringed a couple of times at the jumps and the continuity of the shots.

The story was simple. Gao Ju (Xia Yu) and Zhang Yang (Pu Shu) were best of friends, but they fall in love with Huanzi (Zhou Xun). Huanzi loves both of them and thus they formed an unbalanced trinity. A simple promise not to meet ever again after college ended up in disaster when Gao cannot resist wooing Huanzi again. The subplots of the story, linking the three in a cycle was refreshing, but could have been dealt with alot better. In fact, the whole story could have been dealt with alot better.

What saved the movie was the way the thought put in to the style of the film. Firstly, it is a non-linear story, from the start to the end of the movie, you would not know when in time it was. Though confusing right to the end, it was very well done, because i believe that time was not an important factor in the equation anyway. The other thing that impressed me was the use of mannequins. I was stunned at first when i saw the mannequins and the actors acted alongside them as if they were real people, then i realise that the mannequins were stand-ins for the extras. I thought it was such an innovative way to make a statement. That people surrounding us that were unimportant were as good as mannequins because they don mean much to us anyway. The other scene that strucks me is the house of Huanzi is situated in an open meadow with only a bed, a door, and a decorated tree. It is up to the individual to comprehend why this is so, but from what i see, i believe it was to provide us with a glimpse of Huanzi's personal life, but not showing anything at all.

Zhou did a great job as Huanzi, innocence-a-plenty during the before, and nonchalance with a tinct of longing in the after, thus providing us with a great contrast of time. Xia was very entertaining, basically is the comic relief of the movie. He brings a smile to your lips without being the clown. Pu on the other hand, is convincing as the solemn one, the punk, the bad boy that all girls love.

Overall, this is a very amateurish production, with a strong cast and interesting experimental effects to save it. I would suggest watching it, not for the movie itself, but for what the director is trying to express in it.

Do you remember what you have done when you are 17? If it is similar to how i remembered mine, then this movie would invoke alot of memories. Isn't life like that: simple, un-eventful, yet confusing and full of uncertainties?

I applaud the way the director handled this coming-of-age movie. He managed to touch a really heavy topic like homosexuality without throwing it into our face. He had managed to keep everything simple, with no dramatic ups and downs, but accurately reflect the lives of 17 year olds. The lead characters may seem too sweet and innocent, but pretty accurate to people in Asia.

To keep the movie real, the director went to the streets and got the male lead Chen Bo-lin (Zhang Shi Hao) and the female lead Gui Lun Mei (Meng Ke Rou) and all of the other cast. And knowing that they were all first time actors really lifts up the mood of the movie. I say they did a great job. By the way, the name 'Meng Ke Rou' means 'fierce subdue the gentle' (although not the exact words, the pronunciation is similar), which to me is a subtle undertext to her character. The biggest applause goes to Gui who did a great job portraying in Meng's confusion and awkwardness, and her struggle to conform to society's standards.

Watch the movie for its simplicity, if you are looking for a plot heavy, technically driven movie, this is the wrong place. One of my fave movies of all times.

I have heard about the movie for a long time. But i never got a chance to watch it. So when i saw the vcd out, i grabbed it immediately. And i am so glad i did. It is one of the most breath-taking movies around. Simple yet refreshing.

As someone who is pretty sick of Hollywood features and Hong Kong movies, it was a refreshing change to watch this movie. I admit that the first thing that drew me to the movie was the lead actress, Zhou Xun, I am a big fan of hers. But what impresses me in the movie was how every thing was kept to the bare minimal. The shots were simple, no fanciful cinematography, but breath-taking all the same.

The plot is really refreshing, with the 're-education' as a back story. It draws attention to the time of the 'Mao', but never overpowering us with political statements or issues. As a singaporean chinese who had no direct contact with Mao-ism, it is very 'educational' to learn of the history of my roots without being stifled. The story of the two boys and the little seamstress was simple, there was no dramatic love struggles, like so many of the mainstream movies. Instead, it draws you subtlely into the plot... You learn Ma loved the little Seamstress not by words, but more like subtle actions. This in itself is very touching and sympathy is given readily.

I was impressed also by the professionism of the actors. Chen Kun (Luo) and Zhou Xun (the little seamstress) mastered a totally different accent of the same language, thus adding authenticity to the movie. Chen's performance was very intense and Zhou emoted without over-acting. Beside the strong performance of Chen, Zhou and the supporting cast, the main character Ma (Liu Ye) seem to pale in comparison and seems to live in the shadows of his co-stars.

The biggest fault i can find of this movie is the ending. If they have left it in the past, without moving to the present... it would have left a better after taste. The present explained everything but nothing at all.

Overall, this movie rates as one of my faves of all times.

This is a wonderful movie. I am most taken with Zhou Xun (Meimei/Moudan). She played both roles impressively by giving each of them a character that is totally different from the other. Never once allowing the audience to believe that other than the looks (and the mermaid), nothing else about them is the same.

Other then that... everything else about 'Vertigo' and stuff were mentioned by the others, so i shall not go into that.

Great movie. One of my faves of all time.