Movie Review of Secret (2007 Taiwanese Film) Essay Example for Free

Movie survey of Secret (2007 Taiwanese Film) EssayCasts* Jay Chou as Ye Xianglun A music student majoring in cushy and lives with his father * Kwai Lun-mei as Lu Xiaoyu A music student who lives with her mother * Anthony Wong Chau-sang as Xiangluns father Xiangluns father and the discip boundary teacher at his check * Alice Tzeng as Qing Yi Xiangluns family unitmate who is in cognise with him * Yuhao Zhan as Yu Hao A music student and talented piano player, nicknamed Prince of the piano, he had a piano fight with XianglunSecret is an amazing video to look at and to listen to. The film tells a simple exclusively very stunning love story which is tied betwixt past and present. The story, the music, the talent youll really be amazed and be in love with it when you see it yourself. You cant imagine that it would be magical. Its a unique story, unpredictable and interesting. Whats more interesting is there is more to it than what meets the eye. Careful attention mus t(prenominal) be paid to all scenes, or else the story wont click and the end wont be as good. Heres the spoil. Ye Xianglun is a budding musical genius whose way with piano keys makes him a hit with the ladies, and nevertheless the guys, who recognize talent when they see it. Ye arrives at Tanjiang Art School and already hes being watched, but his look and heart are immediately stolen by Lu Xiaoyu, an elegant, charming flirt who first happens upon Ye in the schools patriarchal piano room. The two begin a cute, casual romance thats defined by secrets.Basically, Lu keeps them, outset with her name, then extending them to other things like where she goes, what she does, and why shes always absent from class. Since shes so effervescent and attractive, Ye is immediately smitten. Ye has a secret too, but Ill give it away his dad is a teacher at the school, and hes play by Anthony Wong in an amusing performance thats vintage Wong. Ye also has some(a) friends at school who arent as amusi ng, and even qualify as annoying and bothersome. Some of these characters are played by Chous Taiwanese daddy music pals. Since this is a Jay Chou (Ye Xianglun) production (besides starring and directing, he penned the original story and contributed the music), its only(prenominal) perceivable that Chou make room for some of his buddiesas well up as his pet obsessions, especially music. Ye becomes the class celebrity when he kicks ass in a piano battle, which is as entertaining as it is patently manu situationured. Basically, Ye outfoxes his opponent on the ivory keys, winning the hearts of the female childs and the guys, while still remaining cool and docile in that inimitable Ye Xianglun way.Chief among his admirers is the pretty Qing Yi, who starts to crush on Ye big time. But Ye only has eye for Lu. Or does he? Despite getting along swimmingly with Ye, Lu soon gets the idea that Ye is cuckold her with Qing. This is due to your standard crossed wires and mistaken circumst ances, but the misinterpreted event is complete to throw a big crush-killing wrench into their puppy love. That would probably be a terrible thing to behold if not for the fact that the relationship up until then was just inspiring. Ye Xianglun and Lu Xiaoyu have decent chemistry, but the relationship between their characters never seems that deep. Theres a manufactured quality to the dialogue that makes their supposed love a bit unconvincing, and without more acute emotions the film begins to drag. Sadly, part of this is the fault of Ye Xianglun, the actor. Ye possesses a certain likable charm, but his presence hardly screams passion. His demeanor is just too remote Ye tries hard, but he cant convey a shade range of emotions. Shoring things up, however, is Lu Xiaoyu.When she initially appears, she acts too much like an idealized good girl flirt to be real its like shes some manufactured idea of what perfect high school romance should be. However, as it turns out, theres a reaso n for her bizarre flirtatious behavior, and as the film divulges more of the hows and whys, Lu is given a chance to convey emotions that prove heartbreaking. Her screen presence is alert and her emotions genuinely moving if Secret manages to affect, Lu Xiaoyu is a large reason why. The divine revelation of the films eponymous secret is what gives Lu the chance to really affect the audience and yet its also when the movie starts to lose its credibility. The mechanism behind the films secret is never known, but the logic of how it works is explained explicitly, such that any incident and action in the film needs to fit a set of rules explained by the characters and envisioned by the events themselves. But the film ultimately doesnt adhere to its convictions, eventually twisting events to fit desired emotions and dodge around the rules that theyve laid out for us.The film gives us a denouement, but itsonly touching because it fits some sort of predetermined audience expectation, a nd not because it surprises or really affects. Some flock may be happy with how Secret ends. But does the film earn its ending? I dont think that it does. At least Secret is a very pretty ride. On artifice alone, the film is aces, serving up beautiful art direction, cinematography and music. Ye Xianglun (Jay Chou) really knows how to compose a tune the films original music is genuinely stirring, and preexistent pieces are well-chosen and evocative of the films innocent romantic mood. Secret serves the senses exceptionally well so much so, that its almost tragic when it ultimately throws logic out the window. Ye Xianglun and company have created a nice puny valentine, but their desire to give the film more weight eventually leaves it adrift.The film barrels towards its think goal with little regard for common sense, leaving the audience with nothing besides the pretty pictures and people to shore it up. Amazingly, that gambit is more successful than not, and Lu Xiaoyu (Kwai Lun- mei) practically drags the film across the finish line herself. Without her the film would probably sink beneath its own self-importance, as its manufactured sheen and occasionally miscalculated choices turn back the film little more than a superficially gorgeous pure love diversion for teenager girls and the boys they drag to the cinema along with them.Thatll probably do just fine for most, since manufactured diversion seems to be a standard expectation for many modern moviegoers. Secret will probably score well with its intended teen audience, especially if they take in the film as a single, one-off experience. Further viewings would only reveal the films holes to be gaping and perhaps intolerable, but upon first glance, Secret is pretty and polished enough to charm. You should watch it too