Ren Yu Duo Duo
2005 / 94m - Taiwan
Fantasy, Romance
3.5*/5.0*
The Shoe Fairy poster

Watches

December 16, 2020

3.5*/5.0*

A modern Taiwanese fairy tale. It's not a niche that's very popular in Taiwan, but back then China was experimenting with different kinds of genre films (Baober in Love is a slightly edgier example) and Taiwanese cinema was trying to move on from the New Wave, so it's not a complete surprise this film got made.

Dodo is born with a defect on her legs that prohibits her from walking. A successful operation rids her of the problem, but leaves Dodo with a newfound shoe addiction. The fascination for shoes grows so big that it stands in the way of her social life, until a visit to the dentist lands her into the arms of her prince.

The cinematography is very colorful and Hsu's performance is captivating. The tone of the film is light (even the more dramatic parts never feel too depressing) and the fantastical elements are well realized, but the film lacks that extra layer of polish that could've turned it into a true masterpiece. Extremely quirky and charming filler though.