The Cocky Critic..... Flicks Now On / You Are The Apple Of My Eye

Ko Ching Teng (Ko Chen-Tung) was preparing for a wedding in 2004 when he was reminded of his high school days some 10 years ago.

Thus begins, You Are The Apple Of My Eye, a Taiwanese teen drama which followed his time as a 16 year old dealing with growing-up issues like studies, friendship and love.

As the recollection rolls into 1994, we're introduced to Ching Teng, slacker and class clown, who spent boring class lessons in a crude exercise of self relief and roamed naked at home, in the presence of his parents. Ching Teng, as he puts it, was just not interested in studies so attracts the loathing of the class's top student, Shen Chia Yi (Michelle Chen) whom he 'praised' as slightly prettier than the rest of the girls.

Ching Teng also had his own company; Tsao Kuo Sheng (Owodog) is the basketball ruffian, Hsieh Ming Ho (Steven Hao) is the 'fat boy' of the pack, Liao Ying Hung (Tsai Chang Hisen) does bogus magic tricks and lastly, Hsu Bo Chun (Yen Sheng Yu), the nerdiest one with a serious erectile problem.

Wild Five: Ching Teng (Ko Chen Tung, centre) and brothers.

Together, they confronted the challenges of high school, handling authoritarian teachers and hormonal uprisings. However, centrepiece to these series of adolescent adventures (and misadventures) is Ching Teng's unlikely relationship with the industrious Chia Yi.

What began as Chia Yi's reluctance to be Ching Teng's personal monitor eventually grew into a close friendship when the latter began to develop affectionate feelings for her. As the possibility of romance blooms, the film's narrative transits to the university and, later, young adulthood years of the main characters as well as their bond with Chin Teng's brothers-in-arms.

Apple of his eyes: The film's lead (L-R), Michelle Chen and Ko Chen Tung.

Director Giddens Ko's kaleidoscopic treatment of youthful reflections might just tug the heartstrings of the 20s adult demography. The faithful depiction of high school life effectuates a great wealth of nostalgia; after all, little technical aspects like the background music of band practice in an after-class scene help recreate the mid-90s school environment.

That said, the narrative of the film could have went so much better if not for Ko's over-reliance on American Piesque sex gags for the numerous humour bits of Apple Of My Eye. Even seeing Ching Teng's butt naked scenes for the umpteen times would have get a little annoying but thankfully, they are cut down before further exposure.

Things like these made me wonder what sort of sub-genre the film fits in..... is it a bitter-sweet teen drama or a teen comedy of restrained raunchiness? Or a combination of both? Probably the third kind, being the film's major oddity which marred an otherwise genuine delivery of the story without excessive sexual jesting.

Still, Apple Of My Eye is fairly a pleasant film despite it's unbalancedness at times. The rich content of teenage memories can be readily empathized with and it's sprightly light-heartedness, free of any need for the usual overdose of romantic sappiness.



IMDB Personal Ratings