Possibly one of the more uplifting and warm films in this years New York Asian Film Festival, When A Wolf Falls In Love With A Sheep is set in Taiwan’s famous cram school streets, Nanyang Street, Taipei City, a young man has his heart broken by his [ex] girlfriend after leaving him while he sleeps, the only clue to her possible location is a note she left, which he clings hold of in his search for her.
Arriving in Nanyang Street he soon gets offered a job by a strange man who seems to promise him the world of fun working in a photocopy shop, but he soon gets settle into his life and his desire to find her soon gets pushed back. He meets an unusual, but so adorable girl who’s Hollywood counterpart can only be Zooey Deschanel. She too was left unexpectedly and remains heartbroken, but they lie at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to their feelings on the matter, and needs of closure, which is wonderful and real. In life there are most often two kinds of people once you’re dumped, the obsessive type who can’t let go and need answers and the more philosophical sort who are happy to move on, realising if it’s not meant to be then they should just accept it.
When A Wolf Falls In Love With A Sheep is a beautiful heart warming Taiwanese movie that takes a look at young love and heartbreak and gives a very honest account of the struggles to find true love for yourself. It’s a fun, and (okay I’ll say it) cute as heck film that blends live action, animation and stop motion to create a wonderful fantasy-surreal world. I love the use of animation as well as stop motion as that really gives the film a bit of a subtle stylistic touch – and rather than just being thrown in there for the fun of it, it actually works.
The film is warm, sweet, surreal, quirky and charming all rolled into one big ball of fun and its only downfall is the subtitles, which at times moves a little too quickly. This is forgiveable though as it only happens a little at the beginning of the film, and you feel you’re able to keep up with the story in spite of this.
When A Wolf Falls In Love With A Sheep is directed by Hou Chi-jan stars Kai-Ko and Jian Man Shu.
Rating: A cute film that will make you believe in love (7/10).
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