The film is so interesting that it shows us all the feelings , attitudes and problems about romantic love, family relationship and sex, etc. The story is so real that the main character's experience of growth is just like every teenager! Very impressive!
2 Reviews
The Hong Kong version of Fast Times at Ridgemont High
The-Sarkologist28 December 2013
Warning: Spoilers
This is a Hong Kong movie, and that is why I watched it. Having seen a lot of American films, I have decided to take an interest in foreign films to see what they are about. Hong Kong cinema has its similarities to American Cinema in the way that the plots tend to be similar, but there are vast differences.
Within in first ten minutes of this movie I saw that I was going to be like Fast Times at Ridgemont High. I haven't seen that movie in ages (and plan on getting my hands on it), but further into the movie I noticed that there were differences. This is a situational comedy with the quirks that make it typically Hong Kong, and though there are probably many laughs that are in the language (such as the name of the teacher being Ms Shin which is said to be part of the female anatomy) there are still a few that appeal to us ignorant English viewers.
This movie is about a year in a boy's life. The beginning shows us him as a baby, and there are some quite interesting things about him at this age. The baby scene is quite absurd. When he grows up the absurdity disappears and he becomes a normal boy in high school. Actually, he is not all that normal. He is the nobody character, the one who is not highly intelligent, high popular, or highly bad. He is not hassled by the other kids as he pays protection money to the school bully. It is interesting how the only reason he asks for protection money is because he wants friends and this is the only way he can make them.
As a Hong Kong movie it is interesting. The biggest difference between this and an American counterpart is that this movie is much bolder in what it displays. It doesn't display outright nudity, but suggests it quite often. They do not hide the parts of puberty which would be avoided on American Cinema. Compared to much of these foreign movies, American cinema is quite clean and quite tame. The more explicit films such as Pulp Fiction tend to be raised to an R rating. Not so here. This movie, I believe, is aimed at teenagers and young people who have experienced this stage of life. Compare this movie to a similar movie, such as "the Year My Voice Broke".
Within in first ten minutes of this movie I saw that I was going to be like Fast Times at Ridgemont High. I haven't seen that movie in ages (and plan on getting my hands on it), but further into the movie I noticed that there were differences. This is a situational comedy with the quirks that make it typically Hong Kong, and though there are probably many laughs that are in the language (such as the name of the teacher being Ms Shin which is said to be part of the female anatomy) there are still a few that appeal to us ignorant English viewers.
This movie is about a year in a boy's life. The beginning shows us him as a baby, and there are some quite interesting things about him at this age. The baby scene is quite absurd. When he grows up the absurdity disappears and he becomes a normal boy in high school. Actually, he is not all that normal. He is the nobody character, the one who is not highly intelligent, high popular, or highly bad. He is not hassled by the other kids as he pays protection money to the school bully. It is interesting how the only reason he asks for protection money is because he wants friends and this is the only way he can make them.
As a Hong Kong movie it is interesting. The biggest difference between this and an American counterpart is that this movie is much bolder in what it displays. It doesn't display outright nudity, but suggests it quite often. They do not hide the parts of puberty which would be avoided on American Cinema. Compared to much of these foreign movies, American cinema is quite clean and quite tame. The more explicit films such as Pulp Fiction tend to be raised to an R rating. Not so here. This movie, I believe, is aimed at teenagers and young people who have experienced this stage of life. Compare this movie to a similar movie, such as "the Year My Voice Broke".
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