[Confession] Our Times
OMG Finallyy!! I've been meaning to write a lot this weekend, given that I was ditching Kdrama and there's a lot of shows from different countries to choose from… and yet, because of an exhausting week from work, I just had the condition to do this now. Soooo I'm starting this week's review on a Taiwanese Movie 'Our Times'! I am so excited to share this with youu!!
Here is the synopsis of the movie:
Office worker Truly Lin goes on a journey through her memories. Flashing back 20 years to her time in high school, she reminisces about teaming up with a friend to take down their rivals.
Okay, okay. I need to calm down first. LADIES AND GENTS, IF YOU LOVED THE THAI MOVIE 'A Crazy Little Thing Called Love' AND THE TAIWANESE MOVIE 'You are the Apple of My Eye' AND ALSO ANOTHER TW DRAMA ''Devil Beside You' -- YOU NEED TO WATCH THIS NOW!! I didn't know why I shrugged this off in the first place! IT HAS EVERYTHING I LIKEEEE ROLLED INTO A MOVIE (Dino Lee, High School, Awkward Girl, rom-com, bittersweet, dogs, Tough Boy, Shocking Cameos and lots of twistssss) Sooo PLEASE, PLEASE WATCH THIS NOW OR YOU'RE MISSING A LOT!!!
There. I've calm down. Yay!
Our Times is another movie that makes us nostalgic on our awkward yet memorable years in High School and regardless of how long it may have been or a distant past you wish to forget, there’s always a beautiful memory somewhere waiting to be awakened. Now let me list the reasons why I love this movie:
(1) 90's feels. You know how awesome the Reply Series was, right? Well this movie also brings that feeling when your idol automatically becomes your husband (Reply 1997) and your first love is your love till the end? (Reply 1988) No cellphones, no internet, everything retro. And I love it.
(2) The Universal Relatability. Our protagonist is the main girl whose plain and often gets ignored. Despite her tacky look, she was pure and innocent and we all wish we were like her again. Other things are celebrity crushes, real-person crushes, friend zones and how to cope in them as well as how to get out of them, getting into trouble in school, growing up, and all the awkwardness and uncertainty that goes with it – all of these are brought to delightful, palpable life in the movie.
(3) Overall Casts. The person behind the casting is amazing. I actually only came in the first place because Dino Lee's here (couldn't get over Miss in Kiss hihi) but after watching this, I found another one to love: Darren Wang! He's not that handsome like Dino but he has this charming aura that surely captivates you in. He totally stole the show! His character's sensitivity, loyalty and vulnerability shines through beautifully, and I couldn’t help but feel for him, and root for him, and want all kinds of good things for him. I also love Joe Chen as the grown-up Truly. As the Queen of TW Dramas, you'll never go wrong with her!
(4) The typical underdog story - well this can make or break me but it won me here. It’s always exciting and emotionally satisfying to watch an underdog grow and develop a character arc, learning more about him/herself and teaching others along the way. They also focused on a couple more conflicts rather than focusing and dragging on one. They also have emotional build-up that wraps the plot twist beautifully.
(5) For once, a Closure. This movie ends on a really good note. After watching dozens of dramas end without a choice of heroine, the fact that this show does that is a big plus for me. It felt great to have a clear cut ending for once. It’s really cathartic. It made me cry, like a kid, but in a better way.
Mygosh. This is the first time I've done a list like this! Hmm, maybe I'll do this often when I really liked something? Hihi Well, in terms of dislikeness, it's not that there's none - it's just too minimal to mention (but I'll mention anyway): Maybe I got disconnected in the end when they used another actor/actress to portray the grown-up parts. It's okay but maybe a little peek on their younger selves as they descend out? Yahhh. Other than that, everything was effin great!!
Flaws notwithstanding, Our Times stands out to me as a wonderfully engaging watch that grabs the heart, brings back memories, and ignites (all of) the feels.
My Rating:
Plot: 9.8/10
Acting: 9.5/10
Cinematography: 9.0/10
Characters: 10/10
Uniqueness: 8.7/10
OVERALL RATING: 9.4