Hear Me, or Ting Shuo (as it referred to in native language), is a semi-recent Taiwanese film that is part of the current wave of Taiwan cinema that's making a name for itself outside of the more traditional Asian movie making powerhouses. Welcome to the party Taiwan! The more the better I says!
SPOILERS AHEAD!
Is this movie "gimmicky"?...YES!. In fact, it's totally dependent on its gimmick to make it all work. With regards to gimmicky movies, I often try to think about what it would be like if you removed the underlying gimmick from the equation in order to better judge it, i.e. would it still be a good movie if you did so?...You just can't do that here though, because there would be no movie without the gimmick.
Story: This is a romantic drama that revolves around two deaf sisters who can only communicate through sign language (this is the gimmick). The two sisters do their best to make a living while realizing their goals in a world where the cards are heavily stacked against them. One of the sisters is an aspiring swimmer, and the younger sis tries to encourage and support her while trying to make ends meet for the both of them. Life is tough though, and they keep getting more crap piled on them no matter how hard they try to succeed.
Enter our young hero. He works for his family's restaurant and delivers meals all over town. On his route is the athletic/swimming facility for the deaf, where he happens upon the younger of the two sisters. He's not deaf, but he does happen to know sign language, and he's instantly smitten with the young deaf sister upon meeting her. So, he pursues her, and there's your romantic angle of the story line.
The actress playing the young deaf sister is the tiniest and cutest thing ever, and the lead actor who portrays the guy interested in her is suitably "adorable" & likable. She's pretty cautious and somewhat standoffish, but he persists, and perhaps love can one day bloom between the two if everything works out. They would make the cutest couple ever if so.
The two actresses starring as the deaf sisters are really good in their roles. I (obviously) don't know the Taiwanese version of sign language, but it sure does look like the 2 actresses do. As a result, there's a number of thoughtful and touching/emotional signed scenes between the two of them throughout the film that are very nicely done. The main male lead gets the job done quite well. Aside from them, the only other meaningful characters in this movie are the mother & father of the male lead, and, they are just flat out awesome in their respective roles.
This movie also had a very well done end game goal/result that caught me off guard a bi. IIt's really, really, really, rare that a movie or TV show will make me say; "HmmmI wasn't expecting that to happen!"
There's a lot to like with this movie; the story is pretty good and well thought out, all the characters are likable, and it's well shot/filmed throughout. Perhaps the most impressive aspect about this film is its musical scoring & sound effects; the "soundtrack" hits all the proper notes when & where needed throughout, and the subtle use of background "noise" when the deaf are communicating is nothing short of outstanding.
Bottom Line: This Movie is pretty good. It's an uber cute dramatic love story (with a gimmick) that makes for a great "date night" watch. What's wrong/lacking?...not much, other than its too freakin' long. As such, some "fat" trimming would have definitely benefited this film. Nevertheless, it is quite well done overall as is. And, I just absolutely loved it!
So, 8 out of 10 stars for me!...Solidly recommended!
