You are the apple of my eye (2011)

Country: Taiwan
Format: movie
Genre: Youth, romance,XXX
Cast: Michelle Chen, Chen Tung Ke (Zhen Dong Ke), Owodog, Chang Hsein Tsai, Sheng Yu Yen, Wan Wan Shao Wen Hao,
Synopsis:  Story begins in 1994 when 5 friends go to high-school. They are all in love with Shia-Yi Chen, an outstanding student, except for Teng Ko, who thinks that she is too arrogant. But due to certain circumstances he and Chen become really great friends, who spend much time together. Even so, it is a long and difficult road to hold the ones you love close.
Rating: 5/5

 I actually wrote the whole review on a paper and I simply lost the paper... I should never trust a piece of paper again when I am writing reviews.

Anyways, it is really cute youth movie, but I would strictly put a mark that says "OVER 16" on it as it contains a lot nudity, violence and bad language. Many people have compared it to USA "American Pie", but as a big fan of "American pie" I must say that it is not that bad either ("bad" as "great", if you know what I mean) .  

Ching Teng Ko is like most of the guys at that age - they do not understand what things seem cool to girls and what not, but I like that he takes the opportunities to see what comes next. He also teaches that if you truly love somebody, then you will wish for her/his happiness. Movie mostly concentrates on him and how his life goes on and it is really funny and sad at the same time to see how ones life can almost stop while others go on. The whole movie is his reminiscence. It was Chen Tung Ke's debut role and his first role ever - it is amazing how he first starts out as a young not-so-handsome guy and in the end he is like so HOT! It is unbelievable what he was willing to do for this role - nude-scenes, faking jerking-off, kissing other male actors, getting beaten up etc. Many actors do not do all of these things even within their whole career! 

The main female character Chen... I would say that she was taking some things for granted - like the fact that she knew that everybody loves her, but at the same time I understand her - when everyone says that you look pretty, then in the end you will lose the feeling that it is the truth.  I liked that the movie only gave hints of how her life went after finishing school as all things in movie are retold by Teng Ko. Michelle Chen got the part of Chen since the first second Giddens Ko saw her, because the real-life "Chen" had seen much like Michelle Chen in school-years.

Other characters do not play that big part in the movie - they all have their weird and funny sides which are definitely over-done, but as it is only a memory of their school-times, then it is natural that some things you remember more than others. The actress of the other girl Chia-Wei Hu, who later becomes Wan-Wan is actually the Wan-Wan - famous Taiwan's blogger and comics-author. 

Movie director and screenwriter is Giddens Ko, who is Taiwan's most popular author in recent years. It is actually half-autobiographical and his name is mentioned in the movie too. I would really like to read his books, but I doubt I will find any in my country. It was his first time directing a movie, but I think we all agree that it came out very well. Some funny facts about the movie - I find actors age differences amazing! Michelle Chen is 29, Owodog is 30 and Chen Tung Ke is only 21, but they all seem such teenagers. Giddens Ko parents also act in the movie - his mom plays the part of Lotus Wang and his father plays the role of dad in the movie too. What a great father-role he is - in most of the scenes he is nude.

Giddens Ko used his savings and mortgaged his house to raise the money for this movie. And the real reason why Giddens Ko went through all that trouble for one single movie, was to impress his ex-girlfriend -the real life Shia-Yi Chen... what love does not put us through..

Hope this review gives you enough to see the movie itself, but please do not look it with really young children.. and watching it with your parents might be uncomfortable too.. but it is worth every second :P If you had great friends and first love during your school-days, then I promise you that you can relate to it even if it's only a little.

SPOILER-review: The end of the movie is certainly unpredictable. I was fascinated by the fact that they did not end up together - it is so unusual in romance movie, but then again it is half-based on true life. The kiss-scene is amazing, but I almost started to cry when it came out that it never happened. Truly AMAZING! I would add extra-stars for the end.