Thursday, June 2, 2011

High School. Sort of.

Dark skinned, with glasses and braces = the complete cliche package of an ugly girl falls in love with unbelievably handsome and charming upperclassman. Of course he has to be perfect in every way possible, all sensitive and artistic (but athletic and hot at the same time) while she is the clumsy nerd in the shadows.

The movie opens up with Nam's quirky group of friends and a teacher who is too straightforward for her own good. A few juvenile scenes of picking out crushes, passing notes during class and stolen glimpses and suddenly, the story becomes all too familiar.


All those enchantment-believing, book-reading and daydreaming moments could might as well be anybody else's story and it was that gravitation to something so recognizable to all, I think, that made this movie so popular and endearing to people who have a heart and once used it for something no matter how one-sided and futile the experience was.


But of course the lead character must shed off her veil of ugliness and become this pretty swan in a matter of a few months. Any story set on screen could definitely not end with the Prince Charming falling in love with the still visually despicable commoner! The transformation was so dramatic I had to Google if two different actresses played her part. 

I found it bothersome how society (apparently even in Thailand) entails that for a character to be noticed and loved, she has to be physically beautiful. Yes it's nice that after a lot of name-callings and schoolyard torture, the caterpillar that we have grown accustomed to has wreathed out of her cocoon and transformed into a beautiful butterfly. But still, wouldn't it be more interesting, and inspiring even, if the Prince Charming and the ordinary girl had their happily ever after without some cliche make-over / metamorphosis in the middle to make everything easier on the eyes?


For me, it was a rocky road from the moment Nam became painfully beautiful. She suddenly lost her adorable awkward charm and it was not as interesting seeing her being fawned upon by random schoolmates. Fortunately, the story picked up near the ending with humiliating confessions, predictable heartbreak and some flipping through a black book.

Overall, it is a must-see for everyone who have gone through high school and/or puberty. I guaranty you will relieve those tiled school halls with such clarity it's disconcerting. The trailer got it right when it said that it is based on a true story of everyone. And I find myself agreeing with that claim. At least for the first 30 minutes. ;)



Orchestr-o-meter: A

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

:) great movie ..

Anonymous said...

really really cute movie !!!! i'm so addicted :))))

Clarriscent said...

@Anonymous #1:

Not a perfect film, but I agree.



@Anonymous #2:

Aren't we all? :)

Anonymous said...

do you know who is that baby shone is holding at the end of the story? is it pin and top's baby?

Anonymous said...

yeah!.
great movie!.

Anonymous said...

is this a real story?

Anonymous said...

i love this movie!! soo amazing, i wish i could watch its 2nd part with major major English subtittle.. lol

Clarriscent said...

For those asking if this is a real story, as far as I know, this is only a tagline, for the reason that almost everyone can relate to the plot and some of the characters' experiences. I don't really think that there is a Shone or a Nam that existed in real life, just millions of boys and girls who have experienced the feeling and the thrill of one's first romance.

Anonymous said...

ang guwaponi shon!!!

Anonymous said...

owwww my gosh dis movie is really great...i want to watch again in abs-cbn and i hope it will be on weekend.......

Travelonyet said...

this is my real story , so hard !

Anonymous said...

.. grabe .. nacrazy talaga ko sa movie na !! whoo-- two thumbs up :))

Anonymous said...

basta mas maganda para sa akin si alyssa villota

abiggail said...

ang ganda gusto ko sana tagalog at full movie hindi trailer pero ok na ang ganda talaga pwede na ako mamatay joke lang...............

mj said...

sana mag-karoon ako ng CD full movie pero hindi rin trailer saan kaya nakakabili????

mj said...

where can i buy a CD of that movie but trailer?

Anonymous said...

ahahah i've watched this movie . now im so addicted to it :)

Anonymous said...

.. I LOVE IT.. ITONG MOVIE ANG PINAKA FAVORITE KO ;)

kimberly said...

my god ang gwapo talaga n mario.. lyk ko talaga ang movie na ito sana aq nlg ung lading2 nya hahaha

Anonymous said...

ang ganda nitong movie......enjoy :0

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