I WeirDO

What makes I WeirDO a very good film is not the fact that it was shot on iPhones but virtually everything else about the film. It's not the usual social critique/tragedy about people with disorders, but a very balanced film between light tone and fun, and gravitas. It could sound typical to say, but this film actually makes you laugh, cry and think. Yes, it is not a super deep insight film, but it is indeed fresh, and that is not because of the tech it used, but because of its storytelling tecniques and wholesome portaits. I sure hope this film gets a wider release soon.

Both the leads managed to carry the entire film on their own, while being whimsical and charismatic at the same time. The film presents a rather serious mental issue (OCD) in a fun and entertaining method initially, and gives the audience a thought-provoking question at the end.

While I certainly have doubts over several factual aspects of the film, they definitely did a great job in bringing a rather under-represented issue to light!

This tedious, self-aggrandising, zero-budget schlock may possibly have yielded 3 stars out of 10 from me. It gets pushed back to 1 because the core message is unacceptable. Reducing a chronic psychological condition to a fad that can simply "go away" one day is dangerous misinformation. (Indeed, the two main characters both seem to "lose" the disorder as the narrative drags on.)

Billed as a comedy, IWeirDO lacks much of the humanity that would make it so. The second half is where it particularly misses the mark, devolving into poorly-acted melodrama, before Chen Ching "becomes" Chen Po-ching in a hazy, protracted yet unexplained dream-like sequence rehashing their past.

Went to the cinema and had high hopes going into the first 30 minutes. I was amazed and mesmerized by the cinematography and the fact that this was shot entirely on an iPhone but my God! What happened to the 2nd half of the film? I found myself extremely frustrated and I found myself asking the filmmakers: WHAT DID YOU DO WITH THE FILM? many times. Finally, I realized that fancy gadgetry and rousing cinematography are not enough to save a below average story.

I like its soundtrack, shot, actors, but its story in the ending part is just not too bad. It's still a relaxed and lovely film, I guess.