Starry Starry Night

I'm conflicted. I'm self-debating whether to write this post in Chinese or continue writing in English. I went with the later because maybe it might interest some people who don't understand Chinese to check out this movie that I've just watched. But if you do know Chinese and you can read my English, then you must check it out. It's a Chinese movie, based on the same title as the book by the famous writer/ artist Jimmy, 'Starry Starry Night' (星空). Yes, it's another book turned movie flick, but not in your typical cheesy way.

   
It's a story between a young girl named Mei and a young boy named Jay. They're both just 13 and it's not a pure love story like You're The Apple of My Eyes (那些年，我们一起追的女孩), it's about growing up and dealing with love and lost.

Mei's parents are getting a divorce and Jay will be on the move again because his abusive father had found out where he and his mom lived. So, when Mei asked Jay to go to her grandpa's little cottage on the mountain (she's planning to run away actually), Jay eventually said yes. Mei was so eager to show him the starry starry night on the mountain top, the one her grandpa used to show her. Mei also had a jigsaw puzzle of the famous painting by the Vincent Van Gogh which she used to put together with her parents. But she finished the puzzle all by herself, there was a missing piece. So, there's nothing romantic going on between these two young teenagers, it's just something simple, but beautiful.

It kinda reminds you of your childhood, back when imagination wasn't just imagination. We all been underneath the same starry starry sky, it's still there, but we seldom have time to look up at it now. This movie will reminds you how much you have grown, maybe you have grown too much, way too fast, until the inner child was eventually lost in your over tiring body.

The movie itself is beautiful, my guess is that they were trying to stay true to the original book. So, don't get bored if there are some slow motion scene or just some beautiful scenery without much dialogs or actions. My suggestion is that you watch this movie as if you're reading the book. The scenery are beautiful, and so are the words:

但是，在放手之前，想要抓多紧、就抓多紧。

But before we let it go, 

we can still hold on to it as tight as we want. 

你还记得吗？那年夏天。最灿烂。最寂寞的星空。

Do you still remember, the night of that summer, 

the most beautiful yet lonely starry sky.