A Boy and a Girl HD Movie

6.1 Score

2023

4K Ultra HD

2 hr 20 min

CC

Drama

Li-da Hsu’s 2023 ‘A Boy and a Girl’ is sad, downbeat, but visually wonderful. It is a story about a boy whose dad has just left, and a girl with a crushed heart who meet in a dying small town, where no one goes anywhere and decide they'll sneak off together. Themes to innocence lost, societal pressures, and a world that’s a bit too man's for a man explored in the film.

That’s a visceral monument of woe, where every breath and glance has its own story to tell, that’s compelling for those who care about a deep character, storyline driven story.

A Boy and a Girl Movie: Explained

It takes place in a town about to go under, an idle boy meets a broken hearted girl. And both of these characters are dealing with issues that are very personal, and are in conflict with societal norms. Idle youth being representative boy who wasn't fully occupied and attentive to his surroundings and heartbroken girl who lost her innocence.

It’s the meeting that prepares the way for a physical and emotional journey. Metaphorically their plan to escape the town is their secret plan to escape the oppressions of their lives. Where every character interacts and expresses interacts with them in the movie itself, we see deeper truths to their experiences and what is around them as well.

Most of all, the cinematography is beautiful — symmetrical but still immersive while the harshness of its subjects' lives are muted beautifully as water; very different odd water.

A Boy and a Girl Movie: Reviews

While “A Boy and a Girl” has divided critics and scantings alike praising its visual beauty and emotional depth while some have also complained about the film lacking a higher level of pacing. RogerEbert.com’s Nell Minow, for instance, makes her film ‘gorgeous, ruminative, and mesmerizing’ and the best of 2023.

The harmony of Li-da Hsu’s direction and dreamlike cinematography are laudatively certain to capture the characters’ struggle with their harmony. But even some viewers have found the film a bit long and emotionally heavy. The acting is lavishly lampooned by lead actresses for its understated but strong performances.

However, while it’s good, since it is minimalist, and that can be a little bit slow and introspective. However, none of this dented the emotional impact and visual beauty of the film, on many people.

A Boy and a Girl: Netflix

Unfortunately, the date of “A Boy and a Girl” release on Netflix has not been released yet. It premiered at the Busan Film Festival, and has played at other film festivals for its unusual narrative and visual style. Though not Netflix had yet, the praise it received from festivals and critics indicates that the film will be considered for later addition to Netflix’s hefty library.

Is A Boy and a Girl Good?

To what extent A Boy and a Girl is good is largely dependent on individual’s preference and expectation. Many enjoy this equally for the emotionally deep pool of characters, the intense emotions, and for the cinematography. Specifically the lead actresses performances are praised for their subtlety and power in their performances.

Pointing and thinking about how film explores the pressure of a man’s world. The film, however, may be difficult for some to take: it’s paced slow and it’s heavy emotionally. At times, that minimalist approach to storytelling can seem slow and introspective and that might not be for everyone.

While it's unfortunate that there aren't as many positives as one would hope there are, as can be expected, the emotional impact and visual beauty of that film is enough to make it a worthwhile watch for those who love deep, character driven narratives.

Finally, A Boy and a Girl is a film reflecting on human condition in a sense of decline of small town life. Totally mediocre, perhaps, but emotionally distant and visually shallow, it would not stand out as much as it does beyond being seen as a character driven narrative.

• Director

  : Li-da Hsu

• Casting

  : Yu-Heng Hu, Chien-Lei Yin, Frederick Ming Zhong Lee

• Production

  : Yi-Feng Chang