Our Times
2015 · Directed by Frankie Chen
Original language: Chinese
- romance
- comedy
The story
Office worker Truly Lin goes on a journey through her memories. 20 years ago, she had a crush on the most popular guy in school. Taiyu, a ruffian and a bully, is in love with the campus belle. Truly teams up with Taiyu to tear the golden couple apart and help each other to get the ones they love.
What it’s like
Warm, bright and nostalgic, with sunlit campus corridors, sticky late-afternoon classrooms and the faded yellows of a 1990s Taiwanese high school giving way to cooler, more muted office interiors in the present-day scenes. Its camera stays fairly conventional and tidy, with plenty of medium two-shots and playful cuts between past and present that let the mood shift quickly. The score leans on bouncy pop-rock and sentimental piano swells, and the dialogue carries a lot of the warmth. The vibe is sweet, bittersweet and lightly mischievous, the kind of comfort-rewatch romance you might pick for a lazy weekend afternoon or a long-haul flight. Pacing is brisk and comedic, with the emotional beats landing gently rather than hard. The romance is teasing and slow-building: a grown woman revisiting her teenage crush, and two rivals who find themselves on the same side and begin to see each other differently. Intensity is very low: some mild bullying and schoolyard scuffles, no real violence, no gore, and nothing sexual beyond light flirtation. Suited to viewers who want a cheerful, nostalgic romantic comedy with a gentle sting of memory and a touch of mischief.
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