Miao Miao (渺渺) (2008, Taiwan)
After all those horrible romance films I've been seeing, I don't know what made me rent this DVD. Actually, I remember its theatrical release last year, but ignored reviews since I usually like to watch films untainted (which also is the reason for my style of reviewing – I give my personal impressions, but aside from basic information, I avoid giving away what viewers would inevitably see themselves). So I didn't know for sure it was a romance. From the poster, it could be a high school, teen flick.
But with the fear that it might turn out to be a romance, I had low expectations for this film, although I tried to keep an open mind during the not-so-promising opening scenes. But I was pleasantly surprised by this film. Actually, I thought it was a great film! Another local film to give hope for the local industry.
I think it qualifies as an indie-style film, with no point A to point B plotline. It unfolds and it explores human feelings and dynamics. It centers on two high school girls and a moody CD shop owner who has a mystery in his background that the girls pry into.
I saw this film as being about loves; true, pure loves that can only exist in songs, passion perhaps, but such loves that "miss". Loves like that which aren't requited or recognized or reciprocated, or they're imaginary or not consummated, but the love is there, in all myriad forms – parent-child, girl-girl, boy-boy, girl-boy, or even a passion for a future plan that's never going to happen.
I liked how by focusing on the misses of the loves, the film floats in the twilight of potential, of yearning and desire, and for most part I think it's done beautifully. OK, the two female leads are high school girls, so you have to accept watching teenage girl behavior. There's a bit of overacting here and there, but it's counterbalanced by some very subtle, charming and poignant scenes, too.
It's not a complex or deep film. Or a long film for that matter. At 84 minutes, I wondered whether the director couldn't flesh something more out, but adding more may have run the risk of losing its short sweetness. Ultimately, I think the feeling the director was trying to evoke runs deep.
On a personal note, several months ago, someone gave me a mix CD of Taiwanese music that she liked. On the CD was this song, which is also used in the film in what I consider the climax. I translated the title of the song as "The Meaning of Travel", but I didn't know any of the lyrics. The movie includes some of the lyrics in the English subtitles, and they are very nice lyrics (they translate the title as "the meaning of the journey", but the dual meanings work, hinting at both why do we do the things we do, or why do we go to the places we go?).
The experience of this song helped me appreciate the movie more. 8 out of 10 tomatoes with the help of that song. Recommended for fans of indie and Taiwanese film.
from the subtitles:
You carefully selected souvenirs
You collected scenery from there and here from far and near
You embraced the warmth of the tropics very tight
You memorized all of Turkey's sights
You wandered through fantastic scenes you saw on movie screens
But you couldn't say why you loved me so
You couldn't say which smile made me glow
You couldn't say why I filled your heart with glee
You couldn't say the meaning of the journey
I pushed you to say why you loved me so
But you never said which smile made me glow
You couldn't say when I made your heart sway
You couldn't say why you went away
