Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Secret Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 16, 2008

A stylishly-lensed love story with a twist, Taiwanese sensation Jay Chou’s directorial debut, “Bu neng shuo de mi mi” a.k.a ”Secret” (2007), has been the top-grossing film in China this summer. Impeccably well produced and with a top-notch soundtrack to boot, pic has everything a great romantic story needs, and more. Released on Blu-ray via Edko Video.

Jay (Jay Chou) is a piano wunderkind who has been transferred to Tan Jiang College of Arts where he is expected to continue his studies. While wandering around the Music Building, set to be demolished at the end of the year, he hears a beautiful piano solo coming from afar. Curious to find out what the title of the solo is Jay walks into a large practice room and meets the charming River (Lunmei Kwai). She tells him that the title of the solo is a secret.

Soon the two become friends - they spend time together and admire each other’s performing skills. However, another girl (Alice Tzeng) approaches Jay and for the first time his relationship with River is tested. We also learn that River suffers from a serious case of chronic asthma.

As days go by and River is nowhere to be seen Jay asks his father (Anthony Wong) for an advice. He is concerned that something bad might have happened to River.

Looking for his secret

Secret is a film that will surprise a lot of Western viewers unfamiliar with the Mondo-pop scene and Jay Chou in particular. Aside from the stateside distributed Initial D (2005) and Curse of the Golden Flower (2006) the youngster has been relatively unknown to viewers in North America but his directorial debut is likely to change that. Refined, stylishly photographed, and surprisingly polished Secret is quite the cinematic treat.

Scripted by Jay Chou as a romantic story with a sizable twist this yet to be penned for US distribution film looks terrific. Lush visuals, excellent dialog, and careful omission of dangerous clichés add a great deal of credibility to what I believe was a risky project. Fortunately, the tasteful blending of romance, drama, and suspense allows Secret to evolve as not only a charming story but a convincing one as well.

The real treat here is that Secret works equally well as a romantic story as it does as a suspense picture. With the risk of giving up its secret I wish to point out that the introduction of a secondary plot truly caught me off-guard and I had no idea where the story would head. More importantly the element of surprise is tastefully executed forcing the viewer to rethink events from the first half of the film in a completely different order. Logically, I think that many will be delighted by the depth of Secret as well as the manner in which Jay Chou's script links everything together.

The film’s success, however, is secured primarily by the excellent cast. The young director may not have been impressive as an actor in Initial D and Curse of the Golden Flower but in Secret he is as good as one would expect him to me. His efficient mood swings are an excellent litmus test for where the story is heading and if you could read through them chances are you would guess the ending correctly (I did not). Equally notable contributions by Lunmei Kwai and seasoned veteran Anthony Wong add the type of support every director desires and in Secret all of it is indeed crucial.

Cinematographer Ping Bin Lee who contributed to Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s Palme d’Or nominated Three Times (2005) is once again a force to be reckoned with granting Secret with the type of chic visuals arthouse aficionados will surely appreciate. As a result Secret strikes a perfect balance between style and substance with a script that could have materialized into quite a disappointing effort. Finally, I must mention the terrific musical performances that are practically everywhere in this film. From the catchy piano solo that brings Jay and River together to the amusing but nevertheless well done “battle” scene where two fantastic pianists challenge each other in front of their peers Secret is complemented by one of the better soundtracks I’ve heard on an Asian production in quite some time.

Secret Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC, and granted a 1080p transfer Secret is another exceptional disc by Edko Video. Boasting an impressive color- scheme where blacks, whites, and everything in between literally scream high definition this transfer is every bit as strong as it was the distrib's treatment of Lust, Caution. The picture is incredibly well-defined, with terrific detail, and clarity many of you with extra-large TV screens will fully appreciate. The actual print on the other hand is free of any dirt, damage, or debris. During the outdoor scenes the BD reveals that strong "popping" look many newer films are typically capable of producing. On the other hand, during some of the indoor scenes, the clarity of the image I mentioned earlier remains consistent. To sum it all up, this is yet another marvelous looking presentation by Edko Films that will surely meet the quality expectations even oF the most demanding videophiles amongst us.

Secret Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

This Blu-ray discs offers three audio tracks: Mandarin: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, Mandarin: Dolby Digital 6.1 EX, and Mandarin: Stereo 2.0 (not listed). As usual I was particularly interested in the DTS-HD Master mix and as expected Edko Video once again deliver. Crystal clear dialog, effective and very potent rear channels (the final scene is indicative of the format's ability to deliver excellent audio reproductions of the theatrical presentation), and a perfect balance is what we have here. The terrific soundtrack mentioned in the synopsis above gets a great boost from the expertly done DTS- HD Master mix and you will definitely understand why once you pop-in the BD into your player. For the record, I did not detect any hissing, pop-ups, or cracks. Optional Traditional Chinese and English subtitles are provided. (Note: I noticed that a few times the English subs switched rather quickly for my taste).

Secret Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The extras on this Blu-ray disc are rather generic. Here you will find theatrical trailers for the main feature (not subbed in English), a gallery with stills from the film, a section with cast filmographies, and a music video.

Secret Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A tremendous success in Asia this summer Jay Chou's Secret surprised me with its terrific story, solid technical construction, and excellent cast contribution. I truly wasn't prepared for what Secret delivered. Take my words for granted – you will be moved by the great story. The Blu-ray disc subject of this review is fittingly of great quality. After the release of Lust, Caution and now Secret Edko Video are firmly on my radar as one of the best studios to release on Blu-ray in Asia. I look forward to their upcoming projects and so should you.