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I had the chance to sit down in 2020 to watch the 2008 movie "My So-Called Love" (aka "Ai de fa sheng lian xi"). Granted, I hadn't even heard about this Taiwanese movie from writer Neko Hsu prior to sitting down to watch it. So I had no idea what to expect, aside from knowing it was a romantic movie.

Well, the movie was adequately entertaining up until the guy left for the army, then it just became a slow-paced trot, and I was quickly losing interest in the storyline. So I can't really claim to be overly impressed or entertained by "My So-Called Love". It took director Leading Li forever to go nowhere, and I ended up turning off the movie about halfway through. I just was fed up with boredom.

The acting in the movie was good, but the actors and actresses were struggling with a lack of a proper storyline, as everything was just so mundane and slow paced. It was intolerable.

Barbie Hsu - playing Cat - really carried herself and the movie quite well with her performance in this 2008 movie. I am not familiar with her, but she really seems to have some talent, and her expressions of love and happiness in the movie seemed so very, very genuine. Just a shame that she had next to nothing to work with in terms of a proper storyline.

I am rating "My So-Called Love" a mere three out of ten stars. I wasn't entertained, and this is not a movie that I can recommend you sit down to watch. Nor is it a movie that I will be returning to watch a second time, nor will I return to it to watch the remaining hour - it just simply wasn't worth the effort.

I thought it was a great movie, beautiful shots, bold statements. Why should every love story be about happy endings? This is about a woman who was abandoned as a child, and cannot believe that anyone would truly love her. Her first and only love wouldn't touch her. Her first attempt at selling herself was disastrous. Naturally, when finally a right person comes along, she runs as far as she can.

I hated that she sold her body to earn her school fees. But yet, I understand that deeper than needing the money, she craved the touch of a man. The only man she would ever love never touched her, never kissed her, never satisfied her. Turns out he loved her with all his heart, but can never love her with his body.

I hated that she cheated with this other man who turns out like a douche. BUt yet, I understand why she could not get away from him. His strong assertive nature, his flair and his no strings attached made her feel empowered. He was willing to give her what her true love cannot.

This is a very beautifully shot movie. THe colours, the atmosphere, the locations are just stellar. It doesn't need the big budget stuff. In fact, the only spectacular crane shot was from the very beginning. And I was mighty impressed. Simplicity is the key to sophistication.

Barbie Hsu, Eddie Peng and Zhang Xiao Quan did a fantastic job in my book.Barbie just blows my mind away. No need for over-emoting, no need for huge dramatic declarations. ALL her acting is in her eyes, almost like a female Tony Leung.

I understand why it may be a little confusing, and almost unrealistic. But truth is sometimes stranger than fiction. And this completely new take on love relationships is refreshing and gritty. The only thing that didn't work for me was the movie's namesake (In Mandarin, it says Love, practiced with musical notes), the DO-RE-MI act breaks did not add to the story at all, rather, it is almost distracting and out of place.

Definitely deserves my 9. And those that have not seen it. Give it a go.

P/S: Film scoring I like very much. It is the sounds of Mavis Fan.