Our Times is a sweet romance from the 90s [Review]
For those of us who don't have the time to watch 20 episodes of Taiwanese drama, Our Times is the perfect choice: it packs everything you love from Devil Beside You and In Time With You into a tight, two-hour movie.
Set in the 90s of director Frankie Chen Yu-shan's youth, Our Times tells a simple story of a high school romance with vibrancy and nostalgia. When their crushes appear to date each other, ordinary girl Truly (Vivian Sung) and bully Taiyu (Wang Ta-lu) try to ruin the relationship, only to develop feelings for one another.
While the supporting cast is weak, Sung and Wang give stellar performances. Sung's acting has greatly improved since Cafe. Waiting. Love. She's perfect as scruffy Truly, and handles emotional scenes delicately.
One key reason why Our Times work so well are the minute details that instantly transport us to a 90s high school: tacky celebrity posters, magnetic phone books, and cassette tapes; but the film is also on point about the universal theme of first love.
Audiences young and old will have no trouble relating to the storyline, which manages to surprise despite the common plot points. Cameos by Andy Lau Tak-wah and Jerry Yan Cheng-xu give a perfect finish to the film. If you're a romantic, you can't really afford to miss this film.