So Young (2013)

I remember including this in my PTW list for quite some time now just because it was one of the recommended movies in an MDL article. After learning this was Zhao Wei's directorial debut which also earned her the title as the most successful female director in China, I wanted to watch this film even more. The story was focused on the cast's youth or during their college days giving only a small portion of the film to the time when they all have become adults already. There were times when random story lines would enter and you'd get confused but what was beautiful here was the fact that everything eventually made sense in the end. The acting was good especially Mark Chao's and his role here became my favorite given that I've already watched some of his other works. There was nothing stellar about the music so I just gave it a passing score.

The movie could be dragging so I don't think I would rewatch it ever again. In addition, I wouldn't think that this would be that much of a huge box-office success if it weren't for the fact that it was Zhao Wei's directorial debut. However, I'm still happy that I was able to watch it because it was still well-crafted. I really have to say that China's really good at producing movies that more people should take notice of.

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Honestly, I watched this movie because it is Zhao Wei's directing debut. This kind of movie can either do a great job in portraying the story or just become a mediocre film. In this case, it is the former.

Story: Maybe because I myself is an university student, I can relate to the characters in the movie. This movie has all elements of youth, friendship, sisterhood, romance, ambition, fun, playfulness and so on. I am glad that the story focuses more on the younger time than the mature adults.

Acting: I would say it was well-cast. I heard that the female lead is a new actress, this being her first female lead role. But she did a really great job. Starring Mark Chao and Han Geng, there is nothing to ask for more although Han Geng's character has little to offer.

Music: I didn't find it great or bad.
Rewatch value: I don't really rewatch movies but it would be great to rewatch it after a few years.

Overall, this kind of movie takes an effort to start watching it, at least for me because it can be really boring sometimes. However, for this movie, it is a great movie worth watching, evidenced by its box-office figures.

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