Sealed with a Kiss (1999)
Hong Kong filmmaker Derek Chiu directs this quiet romance that recalls the gentle style of Francois Truffaut. Young and attractive Mandy (Yo Yo Mung) flees the hustle of Hong Kong proper and a failed relationship for the bucolic quiet of Peng Chau, one of several dozen communities located on the former colony's outlying islands. There she stays in a rooming house with the mute and slightly slow Kam Shui (Louis Koo). In spite of herself, she falls for the misfit, much to the consternation of Angel (Siu Au), Kam Shui's tomboyish best friend who also harbors feelings for him. Chiu masterfully brings out the nuances of life on the island in this simple tale, simply told.
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Fresh and Exciting
I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.
All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.
It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.
I'm deeply touched by the sense of freshness and originality of this Hong Kong movie. Although I don't really like the script, the director has done an excellent job. There isn't one dragging moment in the film -all precise and meaningful. Louis Koo did a good job portraying a mute, naive and crude village boy. I think he is too handsome for this role though. And as a result, the uncourageous and regretful love story between the two lovers seems to make no sense.
"Sealed with a Kiss" is about relationships that could never be. The movie was somber and boring over-all. The first half was okay, however, the second half was slow and a little weird. The over-all acting was okay; Louis did a good job playing his character (who cannot speak).