Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Miao Miao 渺渺


Not exactly what I was hoping for but still a very entertaining movie with excellent production values as has the most exceptional crew backing up first time director Cheng Hsiao-Tse. This is a movie that looks and feels like high quality cinema as is produced by Wong Kar-Wai’s production company with especial mention to editing done by Wong Kar-Wai’s extraordinary editor William Cheun Suk-Ping.

The movie tells about two girls and their innocent discoveries with first love. Bubbling Xiao-Ai (Chinese-French actress Sandrine Pinna, aka Chang Yung-yung) meets quiet Dai Si Shi-miao, aka Miao-miao (Ke Jia-yan) a Taiwan born exchange student that lives in Japan and the two girls become inseparable with Xiao-Ai totally falling for Miao-miao. But Miao-miao falls for Chen Fei a silent guy that runs a cozy little second hand CD’s shop and is grieving the death of his true love. So you have one of those stories where girl falls for girl who falls for guy who was in love with another guy and as expected the end is not really happy for anyone. Simple story, yet with a twist that travels both the lesbian as the gay interest genres.

But this is a movie to watch for the excellent production values plus some quite amazing and interesting visuals and yes, for a very light and entertaining very likable story about two teenage girls that it’s fun to watch, even when the movie is really arty.

Performances are good and main characters are definitively good-looking so it is not really hard to get fast involved with the movie. The movie got two nominations at the 2008 Asian Film Awards for Best Editor and Sandrine Pinna for Best Newcomer. Highly recommended for those that enjoy quality cinema and well, I do recommend it to those that enjoy the lesbian and gay interest genres as a perhaps common story extremely well packaged.

I definitively liked the movie for its production values, but also because the breezy tone the movie has as manages to touch complex issues in a simple down-to-earth way.

Enjoy!!!

2 comments

On April 17, Storyteller said...
Hi, I'm glad you enjoyed the film and now we have to prepare for another that from what I read could be as interesting as this one... 亂青春 Luan qing chun (Beautiful Crazy), Lee Chi Y., Taiwan, 2008

There has to be something in Taiwan's/China water as suddenly directors are producing very good films with some lesbian intererest stories.

So, let's hope that Beautiful Crazy is as good as this one.
;)

On April 17, Marie said...
Here here! Definitely agree with your take on this film. I found it very enjoyable, and though I am not quite as savvy about the production elements of films, I do know that the end results was that I got to experience a film (and its important storylines) that was satisfying and a joy to behold.

Thank you for recommending Miao Miao and for your, as always, very thoughtful review.