The beauty of Xin Dong is in its understated portrayal of first love - just a simple story of an ordinary boy and girl, and the events that happen years after their heady adolescent love runs its course. It's not always a happy film, but neither is it a sad one; kind of like life, really. Some poignant touches sets this film apart from the many others of the same genre, and the celluloid-perfect leads play their roles surprisingly well, especially Gigi Leung as the innocent and slightly gawky Hsiao-rou. It's uneven though, with some unnecessary scenes that greatly slow down the pace of the movie. But then comes the absolutely classic ending, one of those that make your heart ache for that moment, and which you remember for a long time to come.
Review of Tempting Heart
