Eternal Beloved (2009)

It is one of the few movies I like to watched again and again. Every time, I end up balling in the end. I think it is a classic like princess buttercup. but it is deeper than that and tragic and yet quintessentially fulfilling. This poor guy. He was not handsome. He may not be manly like his brother. But he was so sensual and brave and stubborn. It is painful to grow up. He acknowledged that. He said he thought as long as he has the true heart of love and effort, he can harvest true love. He didn't know what he was against with. it was wrong in the beginning. Wrong time, wrong place, wrong sequence. Yet love blossomed when it's no tied lingered, no sex involved. Two heart melted together and two soul joined hands. True love is like that. I also like to watched another Chinese classic where two person loved each other because they understood each other like no one else could and they can't love each other and marry each other. I don't know what else could be more painful. but it is good story because there is revelation. Even if one die or one fails, one also understood. One saw the true heart of another and that in itself is a confirmation and fullfillment of love. as long as you know you have another square in the eye, dead center in the heart, you are requited, you are satisfied, you had it without having it. Beautiful actress, talented too. she is the film maker as well.

This is a classic Chinese love film. It is a wonderfully told story of two souls destined to meet, come together, for better or worse and then be torn apart under tragic circumstances. Yet, their souls meet again. This provides the backdrop of the plot line and from there the story gets unfolded and told simply and without any rush. For those who prefer foreign movies with "simple stories told well" or "stories told beautifully", you should enjoy this film. Anyone with any knowledge of Chinese culture will appreciate the multi-layered story lines that encompass the film: brother to brother; younger brother to captured bride; bride to husband turned monk; and finally two souls meeting years later to play out the final chapter in their eternal love. The acting is superb. Each character holds his / her own even with the leads playing dual roles and the constant flash backing. The scene shots and editing will also sustain your imagination. Great film which has just gone onto my recent favorites list.

I was thinking that this is one of the movies that are predictable and with no deepness. I was so wrong, even as I thought that I can predict the story, parallel stories of the film caught me in the tiny web of perfect graphic, and crossroads. Then I realized that the message of the film is very important, and must be seen all the way. Some reviews here brought my expectations very low, but this film shows once again that you can't trust them until you watch the movie. Acting is great, graphic compelling, but the story... it's a real surprise, because yes, it is predictable up to a point. But even a predictable stories if they're done well can catch an imagination. Feeling that i had after i watched this movie was pleasant. And that's something that i haven't felt for a long while.

A teacher just taught my class today about "when films are considered good". He mentioned that when you can watch an entire film without any understanding of the language, but still get it... thats because the film script is fantastic. Now I don't speak more than 5 words mandarin and I literally watched the whole film from beginning to the end. The actors body language, camera perspectives, music and the landscape is great to see. It's enough to tell me a story even while I don't understand his and hers yipper yapper. Of course i'm going to see this one again with subtitles at least, but I have to mention the fact that this movie got me interested in a positive way. If you're a bit of a film lover and know a thing or two about making films and what "great" shots are, man - this movie has a bunch of great shots. A lot of shots are very dynamic, the only thing that could be a bit annoying is the rotation of the camera when pointed on a character. It is amazingly done, but its done a bit too often. Emotions are brought very well; and I gotta say those actors delivers great performance! And man! Those filming locations are nice! What more can I tell ... The storytelling got me in a strange language. A good romance/drama.