Hong Kong Film Fest

Orz Boyz

 (Taiwan)

Neglected child "Liar No. 2" (Lee Kuan-yi), who lives in the coastal town of Danshui with his superstitious herbalist grandmother (Mei Fang), hangs with his rebellious older schoolmate, "Liar No. 1" (Pang Chin-yu). Boys are branded the two biggest troublemakers at school, and their escapades test the patience of their elders and then their own friendship, as adulthood is reached one painful experience at a time. Child thesps carry the heavy load, but most of the adult cast is also convincing. Direction is confident by novelist-cum-helmer Yang Ya-che, who juggles an array of styles, including colorful and intricate animation by Wang Teng-yu and an extended black-and-white version of "The Pied Piper of Hamlin" myth set in Taipei. "Orz" is an Asian emoticon for bowing in deference.