Vire à Esquerda, Vire à Direita

My impression of Turn Left, Turn Right was that it was light comedy without much substance. That being said, although the story is too "romanticised" to be realistic and the plot lacks depth, the movie still provided light and amusing humour. Laugh out loud moments can be found within this film, but if you come expecting too much from this movie, you'll leave severely disappointed. My views may differ from the views of whom this movie is targeted towards, as i am unfamiliar to the Asian movie scene and discovered this movie by chance. Though i have to say for myself that i enjoyed myself whilst watching this film, as at times mindless fluff can be very entertaining if you're in the mood.

I very like this movie, Turn Left Turn Right. The genre romantic movie about boy meet girl, boy love girl, separated and meet again. But this Hong Kong movie is different and unique. Before, my favorite romantic movie ever is Serendipity (2001, directed by Peter Chelsom, starring John Cussack and Kate Beckinsale), see how funny when they seeking each other, from New York to Los Angeles. But now my salute to Johnny To (the director of Turn Left Turn Right)and Takeshi Kaneshiro-Gigi Leung (of course two leading player for this movie). See the desperately about Takeshi and Gigi when they only two time meet in 13 years! The fate, the meeting, and the love, are written from Sky. Remember, Jesus Christ says, when two people want something, anything, and pray together, so the Lord will blessed them! Amen.

I loved this movie. I caught only the last half on TV recently and tracked down the full film to see all of it. I am not familiar with the original illustrated novel though. It is a fairy tale for grownups, with humour, sadness, and a bit of slapstick. Lovely Gigi Leung plays her part of Eve Loi the romantic day-dreaming and slightly clumsy lover of poetry delightfully, and handsome Takeshi Kaneshiro plays the romantic, awkward and intensely shy John Liu to perfection. I was glad the corny temptation to resist naming them Adam and Eve was resisted. The symmetry of the parallel events is fun to anticipate, and the anti-symmetry of the two evil counter-characters adds to the complexity and a foil to the perhaps a bit saccharine sweetness of the main plot and characters The incidental parallel sub-plot of the avaricious landlords also meeting and exchanging phone numbers in the rain is a nice touch. I can forgive the occasional technical hiccups and goofs for the sheer lovely romance that it is.

This movie is a great adaptation from the book by the renown artist Jimmy from Taiwan. Not only faithfully materializing the conception from the poetic illustrations in the book, the movie also adds witty dialogs and funny buffoon performance of the supporting roles for the whole story, which does not exist in the original. The movie debuted as number 1 in the box offices of Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. The original book has been sold for more than tens of thousands copies in more than five languages.

Personally I like this movie very much as a great love story and fairy tail for the grownups. I believe the movies might be more touching for the Asians, (especially for the residents in Taipei or Taiwan, where I came from and the movie filmed) since the whole movie surrounds only one single idea in Chinese as "Yuan-fen", which is deep rooted in Asians' mind and personally I think there is still not a proper vocab for translation. ("Fate" is close but not exact.) And the story, the people, and the scenes are so familiar for me that it just like my neighbor's story.

Another reason I might suggest to treat this movie as a fairy tale is that they do have many goofs or things seems not so logical in the movie, as described by other users. But who cares? Just like nobody questions why the lion in the wizard of oz is so coward. This is still a great love story and grownup fairy tail for me.

Turn Left, Turn Right (1994)

They are both convinced that a sudden passion has joined them Such certainty is beautiful but uncertainty is more beautiful still Since they have never met before they are sure that there had been nothing between them.

But what's the word from the streets, staircases and hallways ---------- perhaps they have passed by each other a million times

This poem perfectly encapsulates the essence of the movie. A movie about coincidence, connections about second and third and fourth chances. A movie about the power of destiny and yet at the same time about the power of uncertainty.

Moments and opportunities pass by us and often we fail to look at them, but they may come back to us. Hopeless or Hopeful, a romantic will always find a way.

Review written by artist jayakumar jrain.