Secret (2007)

First thing I want to mention is its awesomeness in music department. This film’s music is composed by Terdsak Janpan & Jay Chou. Every track in the album is amazing and gripping. I love every track of album but I frequently listen to ‘Sunny Doll’, ‘Angel’, both themes of Xiaoyu and ‘The Flashback’. The music will grab you and blend you into the atmosphere. Use of Piano in this movie is effective, brilliant, breathtaking and touching. Piano performs crucial role in this movie, in characters’ feelings and emotions like when both leads are playing together and The Piano Battle.
Words of other reviewer, “It’s no exaggeration to say that its background music is another main character. Even if you hate soft music, once you try to listen to its music, it would begin to wear down your defenses. It won't let your ears close even for a minute.”

A reviewer said, “If you miss this movie, it would be one of the goofiest things you've done throughout your life as a movie-goer.” And I'm agree with him/her.
Before starting this movie I thought this movie is going to be average but surprisingly it was far beyond my expectations and now I placed this movie in my permanent favorites list including all Hollywood, Bollywood & all other non-Asian movies.
Don’t think that it’s a typical school romance with tearjerker moments, it’s more than that. I’d say it is beautiful, intelligent and a chiller thriller in a way. It is full of romance and mystery, blending of many genres like School, Youth, Melodrama, Comedy, Fantasy, Thriller, Mystery and Horror (Not horror but listen ‘The Flashback’ and you’ll know what I want to say).
And about ending; it’ll leave you thinking. Story needs some thinking to be able to understand it fully. You’ll probably think that there are many flaws in the story but there aren’t any because you’ve to think and most of things are logical in movie point of view. I know what happened in the end but whenever I watch it again it makes me confuse. I’m still confused about ending.

Visually it is more than satisfying. Its coloring is awesome and special effects are also good (Don’t expect effects like big budget Hollywood movies).

Lun Mei Kwai is beautiful and did brilliant job. She is lovely and charming.
And bow to “Singer/Songwriter/Composer/Actor/Producer/Director” Jay Chou. Before I thought he’s just another guy who looks cool and sings and because of obsessed fans he’s popular but now I take my words back. Now he is ahead of all those ‘SHOWCASE’ actors but still behind those ‘ACTOR’ actors. Now, I’m a fan of Jay (It’s surprising that he’s actually popular in India!).

Overall this movie is a must watch and after watching you’ll know that this movie will stay in your heart forever.

BTW Secret 2 is announced and currently in production. I hope Secret 2 will be as great as Secret and I also hope that it’ll be a sequel to Secret.

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This movie actually struck me more by its cinematography than plot or story...like magnificently beautiful classical piece it just flowed right in front of my eyes...
I love movies with symbolism, and this movie fed my hunger for it wholly and the most satisfying way...
It's been 20 minutes I have finished watching it, and my eyes still see and my ears still hear the main character playing the piano, be it during the duel, or with one hand, or two pianos at the same time...
There are scenes in the movie that just refuse to leave my head... The bicycle turning back after being asked to ride slower, childish games between the two leads, their piano duet, the apples, the nature... and music, music, music...
Half of the movie was a love triangle, and I was loving it, then BOOM! it turns out a whole another story...and I'm still marveling it.
I was praying during the last moments of the movie, I was honestly praying...
The effects of the movie and the sudden changes in music left me breathless, absolutely beautiful movie...

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wow. That's all I can say. I am speechless. It's raining outside and I was bored as hell. I read the review of ashu and decided to give this movie a try. The story started kinda slow. very slow actually. (or maybe I wasnt in the mood for it -I even stopped in between to watch R.J Berger)

But because it was still raining, and I was still bored I continued. And I am glad I did.

Right after I started watching it again, it started to get good- really good. The slow pace of the movie stepped up and the story suddenly turned a 180 degrees.

simply Moving and beautiful.

I am actually still surprised because the movie went against all my expectation I had for it.

It is def worth the watch (and the wait through the first half of the movie) ^_^







PS:

This movie is the perfect example why I love asian drama/movies so much.

The story is told, and the watcher follows whatever happens. Then suddenly there is a flashback which gives you additional info. And with this the meaning of everything that has happened so far changes, and gives a twist to the story.

(american Tvshows rarely use the flashback method)

*Hope this doesnt count as a spoiler*



PSS:

I gave it a low re-watch value simply because I dont like to rewatch sad movies. (Just to find out that I cant help but to cry. again.) ^_^

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THIS MOVIE IS unbelievable, incredible, absolutely spellbinding…This movie is inexplicably and depressingly beautiful… When I first was searching in the reviews, I couldn't understand what this movie will be about. Now, I know why I couldn't know the story, because it's a secret which can't be told, yet must be only watched to understand the reason.
The symphony of the story and the plot, which are played in a smooth harmony by the skilled actors, are so wittingly twisting, which will keep you puzzled and at the edge of your seat anticipating for more, will really flabbergast you till your jaws drop to the ground at the end. It really has an unpredictable ending. The soundtracks, piano pieces and background sounds are intoxicatingly robe you of all your senses. The cast is beyond skillful…especially male lead actor (Ye Xianglun), who was played by Chou Jay, excelled in his piano and acting performance throughout the movie. Listen…If I were you, I would start watching that movie NOW, instead of wasting more time. This movie will change your views about classic music in a HUGE way. What are you searching for? The only answers you're seeking for are in THAT movie…NOW WATCH IT…GO NOOOOW!!!!!

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This movie was simply amazing. It may start out as a typical melodramatic high school love story but wait until the end. You will be FLOORED by the twist and the fact that the main actor Jay Chou was also the director, producer, and musical composer for this movie! He looked too young to be the director. But then again, he did play a high school student so that might have deceived me. LOL. He is one extremely talented guy. Although I'm not that impressed with the acting, the music was brilliant. It seriously deserved a perfect 10 (or a 20 if you dig classical music). Cinematography was beautiful and the atmosphere was bittersweet, kind of like experiencing a "Throwback Thursday" moment because it involved a love that transcends time.

I want to post more but I really don't want to put quasi-spoilers lest it would ruin it for those who haven't seen it yet. I have the tendency to make hints about a lot of things when I review and I don't want to do that here mainly because the supernatural element in the story (which is basically the twist) made the romance special and out of the box. However if there IS one sentence I can use to summarize the movie, it's this: "Secret" is a story about a young couple and the impossible lengths they are willing to take to be together. Take note on the phrase 'impossible lengths' because it actually denotes a literal meaning.

Would I recommend this? A definite YES! It didn't receive awards for nothing.

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I want to say that I've been watching Asian movies and Dramas for 2 years now and that this is my first review. This means that that movie is highly recomended by me! It has a unique storyline and both of the leading roles have greatly mastered their characters and that can be easily seen by the emotions they bring forth. It is centered around classical music so if you are a fan of it I garantee that you will really enjoy it and if you aren't a fan I believe that this movie will change your mind. Once again I want to recomend "Secret". It has a lot of messages to deliver!

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Everyone has already heard of this movie (at least in Dramaland) and how it is a must-see. Well, usually I would tell you that most must-see labelled movies are just mainstreamed. But Secret definitely deserves this “must-see” sticker and not just because everyone seems to know about it.

I can already hear some of you thinking "A sad movie about students falling in love, well that's a first...". Don't be fooled by the movie's summary, even if at first Secret looks like your average romance, it's not. Obviously it's a romantic movie starring students so you won't escape the mushiness BUT (thankfully) the way the story was handled is far more interesting and makes the movie stand out. At the end of the movie you finally get some things that you thought were iffy and most of your questions are answered, leaving just a few things unsettled. Not that the lack of answers is a bad thing, on the contrary it makes room for your imagination (and also yes a little bit of brain) without detriment to the plot. The flaws, if there are any, are pretty much trivial. And let's be honest this movie is an eye-candy.

The acting is good but the cast is not paramount. You could alter it and still enjoy the movie. The same however could not be said of the soundtrack. Music is the essence of this movie. The right song is played at the right time, music and pictures just fit each other perfectly.

Overall Secret is a movie that is eye- and ear-candy and it allows your brain to work a little so yes you should definitely watch it, especially a day you don't have anything to do so you can enjoy it fully.

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Fantastic piano playing and unexpected plot twist

“Secret” is written and directed by Jay Chou. So, it’s not surprising that the music and the songs of this movie are top notch. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much from this movie. After reading the synopsis, I thought it’s another teen melodrama about first love and the disappearance is probably due to an illness or parental disapproval. But I am so wrong. I did not see the plot twist coming and I am glad I was wrong.

The acting is not bad and I wasn’t really expecting much from Jay Chou. After all, he’s known for being a singer and songwriter. Female lead, Kwai Lun Mei is fantastic and is the star of the movie. She plays the mysterious and interesting Xiao Yu well, as well as the more melodramatic scenes in the latter half of the movie.

The best part of this movie is the piano playing. If you are a music lover or a piano lover, this is a must-watch. There’s no fake playing and each song feels real. The piano duel is fantastically exciting. Lovers playing music together has such a romantic feel to it. It shows their innocent love and expression of love all through music.

Is this a realistic movie? Not really, especially in the last few minutes of the drama when danger is in his face, yet our main lead continues to play his music. But it makes for a great story and a great ending to this lovely movie.


Completed: 11/26/2022

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