SEALED WITH A KISS

Hong Kong filmmaker Derek Chiu directs this quiet romance that recalls the gentle style of Francois Truffaut. Young and attractive Mandy (Yo Yo Mung) flees the hustle of Hong Kong proper and a failed relationship for the bucolic quiet of Peng Chau, one of several dozen communities located on the former colony's outlying islands. There she stays in a rooming house with the mute and slightly slow Kam Shui (Louis Koo). In spite of herself, she falls for the misfit, much to the consternation of Angel (Siu Au), Kam Shui's tomboyish best friend who also harbors feelings for him. Chiu masterfully brings out the nuances of life on the island in this simple tale, simply told.