A SECRET REVEALED

Every once in a while, amid life's turn of making us savor boredom, we stumble upon things that shift our frown upside down. Sometimes, these things come in a one-word facade that whether we're prepared for it or not renders us temporarily stunned. And if by some cosmic coincidence we've got the same wavelength, I bet you've already figured out it's the word "secret." But I'm not referring to the one kept well-hidden with a red stamp over it. Still, I'm delighted to say that my recent discovery involved a "secret" movie. Well, not-so secret actually.

Introducing Secret, a 2007 Taiwanese movie that lets us in on the mysterious love story of Ye Xianglun (Jay Chou) and Lu Xiaoyu (Gwei Lun-mei), both piano major students of the-not-fictional Tamkang Secondary School. An old piano piece, aptly titled "Secret," leads them to each other, and thus provides a "magical" element to the story.

For someone who had just forayed into film directing, the multi-hyphenate Chou undeniably was able to deliver in this movie, but obviously not when we talk about his acting. While Lun-mei was able to strike off her character's enigmatic aura convincingly, Chou, on the other hand, flubbed his portrayal by being emotionless and flat most of the time.
  
But what he lacked in thespian performance, he made up for with his musical prowess, and this, for me, is the best thing going for this film. 

The music he and his fellow composer Terdsak Janpan created for Secret, which was all classical, blended well with the scenes. Moreover, piano enthusiasts will surely find this movie a great one, as it is a real treat for their aural senses. Add to that the larger-than-life piano duel between Chou's character and someone named Prince of Piano, which serves as one of the film's highlights.

Spending your precious 100 minutes for this film is worth it, and I hope you'll take my word for it. Just don't mind the inexplicable and illogical turn of events toward the last part. Now that's an unspeakable secret between the two of us; please don't tell anyone.