After hyped recommendations urging me to see Secret, I expected it to fall flat on its face. But it
didn’t…
“A subtle thriller infused
with romance and psychological drama.”
The Rundown
Behind the name:
Full Chinese translation—The Secret That Cannot Be Told
Country:
Taiwan, 2007
Genre:
Romance
Distributed by:
EDKO Film
Director:
Jay Chou
Cast: Jay
Chou (as Ye Xianglun), Kwai
Lun-mei (as Lu Xiaoyu ), Anthony
Wong, (as Xianglun's father), Alice
Tzeng (Qing Yi)
Compare to:
Twilight?
Hate it or Love it?
Love it
Synopsis in a Sentence: A musically talented high school student meets the
girl of his dreams on the first day of school, but he cannot seem to get a hold
of her, and neither can anyone else.
On Writing: The
Plot
Simple,
intriguing, and striking are three words that come to mind after seeing Secret, and the plot mirrors the feeling. It is
indeed a simple story, laden with intrigue and the subtle elements of thriller.
It heavily implies the employments of Shakespearian antics, coupled with the
teenage angst of Twilight, yet Secret merges
both plots in original fashion, but these are simply interesting comparisons
that fail to underscore the plot of Secret.
The
plot itself has more of a story than that portrayed in Twilight (the film) and
less family feuds than that of Romeo and Juliet. It has a plot of its own—one worth
seeing for yourself.
(4/5)
On Acting:
The Cast
It’s
all subtle, implied, and clever, and so is its cast.
Jay
Chou (the Chinese from Green
Hornet), played the lead role, and also directed and wrote the film. He should
be praised for his superstar powers in producing it.
His co-star,Kwai Lun-mei relays a performance to
par. Supporting actors did well. All together good.
(4/5)
On Production: The Creativity
As
with the plot and the performance, it was clear that care was taken to relay
the feeling we experience through out the film. Again, hats off to Jay Chou on
this directorial debut. It is one that may be envied by experienced directors
and actors alike.
(4/5)
On Resolution:
The Conclusion
Wow.
It ends with a bang! ...Well, a blast more like. You may have to watch the end
twice to grasp its substance.
(4/5)
The Verdict:
Subtle sparks and then a full blown fire — a light thriller infused with
romance and drama. Well done.
Overall Score
= 16/20
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