Making a quirky movie about a couple of quirky characters is a feat unto itself. You have to walk a thin line between peliculiarity and annoyance without losing enough familiarity for your audience to relate to the character. Walking that tightrope also means you have to consider where you’re leading your characters. This film achieves that balance and delivers a heartwarming tale.
I WeirDo was directed by Ming-Li Yiao who also wrote the screenplay and did the cinematography. Chen Po-ching (Austin Lin) suffers from OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) in such a way that he keeps everything in his house clean and in perfect order. On the 15th of the month he goes out for groceries, counting the steps to the store. His perfect life seems about to be wrecked when he meets Chen Ching (Nikki Hsieh), except that she also suffers from OCD. As a result they seem to be perfect for each other, and you would be right but life can bring about a few surprises.
This is a beautifully shot movie, even if the ratio is that of an iPhone – that’s because it’s filmed on one. Even then, the color palette used is bright and colorful and jumps off the screen. The cinematography is excellent. The performances are more than adequate, almost turning our two characters into adorable caricatures of themselves. There’s a few surprises both bitter and sweet around the corner that will suddenly bring about a degree of realism.
This film is bound to break your heart before it’s over, if you let it. There are decisions in the story that might not please some audiences, specially the ending which I can’t discuss here. At some point your experience might be tied to your emotional investment. If you want a clear cut explanation and finale, you might be annoyed. If you have given in to the engaging performances of the main cast, it is perfectly acceptable that you interpret the ending yourself.
Highly recommended for lovers of quirky films and quirky film lovers. I will not ruin it, but the movie does have a way to suddenly bring about a degree of maturity that you didn’t expect. The story in a way that will have you taking sides, switching sides and wondering about what happens next. I have to leave it rather vague because it’s worth a watch and you’d better off experiencing it yourself. Definitely one of my favorites this year.
That will do for now.
Never Think Impossible 