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SYNOPSIS:
Xiao-feng has just finished military service and heads
straight for Taipei where he wants to start a new life. A new
chapter is also about to start for Fei-fei. She already tried to
run away from home once before but was caught again by her mother;
this time, she is determined to make a better job of it. One day,
during a sudden storm, Xiao-feng and Fei-fei meet. The chance
encounter between Xiao-feng and Fei-fei gradually turns into a
love affair; the two cling to each other as they try to navigate
the maelstrom of the big city that threatens to engulf them.
Taiwanese drama directed by Lin Cheng Sheng.
Starring Chang Chen, Sinje, Leon Dai, Kao
Ming-Chun, Tsai Chen-Nan, Kelly Kuo.
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HEROIC-CINEMA'S REVIEW:
This film falls squarely into the arthouse genre box, for those
who like to pigeonhole their movies. For those who like to
pigeonhole further, it could be categorised as "troubled
urban youth meander through their lives at a gentle pace".
It might be clear to some of you that I feel rather equivocal
about this one. And it's true: while I've heard many good things
about this film, I couldn't really throw myself into it. It began
fairly well, with Chang Chen looking beautiful but possibly a tad
too unkempt for one fresh from military service, and the first
meeting between the two was undeniably cute: two pretty young
things, standing in the rain on a city street, screaming
enthusiastically at nothing. |
| Now I must digress momentarily to wax lyrical about Chang Chen.
He is one of the privileged few who are capable of acting with
their eyes alone, a skill that he demonstrated ably in such flicks
as Happy Together and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
He gives those eyes a workout here, as well, but it's not quite
enough to carry the film, alas.
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| The girl too is fresh and pretty, but
as I'm unsuited to appreciation of such by virtue of my gender and
preferences that fact cut no ice with me. She was certainly
qualified for her job in a street-side betelnut kiosk, a job that
requires beauty and a sexy wardrobe and not much else.
So, we have a pretty cast, playing rather ill-defined
characters, with a loose and directionless plot. The development
of the romance between the two seemed to be all on the part of
Chang's character, while the girl pranced around looking pert and
expecting obedience. I'm not criticising, mind: I'd do it if it
would work for me, but it didn't make me warm to her. |
| In summary, I suspect this is a good film in some
respects, given the film festival attention it has received, but
it didn't excite me one jot.
Rating: 5 mopeds out of 10.
Reviewed by Alison Jobling
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H E R O I C - C I N E M A
http://www.heroic-cinema.com
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