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Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Winds of September

WINDS OF SEPTEMBER (2008)
directed by Tom Lin Shu-Yu


My first encounter with this film was at LA Pacific Film Festival last May. At the theater lobby where all film attendees gather, one poster caught my eyes...
I thought to myself... I definitely have to see this!!!
Something about the picture was so intriguing. The 9 different faces seemed to have some personal story to share, or perhaps too personal to share, too heartbreaking to rekindle memories of...




Set in the early 1990s of Taiwan, WINDS OF SEPTEMBER is a coming-of-age film about nine high school-age children learning life lessons in love, family, and friendship. The boys obsess over baseball and motorcycles, and teasing one another about their crushes and fledgling love. Friends who it seemed would remain friends forever face conflict as a love triangle forms and misunderstandings arise, breaking their unity.

The film maintains slowness in pacing and Steadicam work throughout, capturing the nostalgia of rebellious adolescence. The boys spend hours rooting for their favorite baseball team, go skinny-dipping at night when the pool is forbidden, and roam the streets joyriding on their motorcycles. Taiwanese Director Tom Lin, in his first feature, creates cherishable moments of unruly, restless teenagers, showing how they learn life’s valuable lessons through rough times.

Another notable aspect is that the cast are first-time actors. Despite their lack of experience, the ensemble is finely-matched and their performance level is outstanding. Plus, the male actors’ pretty faces will surely win attention from teenybopper audiences

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