Love and dreams are miraculous. They don’t need to be heard, to be said, or translated.

This movie, starring artist Eddie Peng and actress Ivy Chen, is a hidden gem I stumbled upon on a site. I had become interested in Eddie Peng through a scene from My So Called Love, in which he played a character confused by his attraction for another man so intensely and realistically (“the only good point about this otherwise mediocre film”, as a critic put it) that I had to see more. Upon searching for movies in which he starred, I found Hear Me and I couldn’t stop watching it until it ended.

During a delivery, Tian Kuo, a 20-year-old helper at his parents’ restaurant, meets Yang Yang, a young woman whose only goal in life is to help her older sister, Xiao Peng, follow her dream of participating in the Olympics for the disabled. Both sisters are hearing-impaired, and Tian Kuo, who knows the sign language, understands their hardships and is willing to wait patiently for Yang Yang to chat on MSN. As time passes, their relationship becomes stronger and Tian Kuo develops feelings for her, hoping even to marry her in the future. One day though, Yang Yang becomes aware of the fact that she neglected her sister and wants to break off their relationship…

As I have only seen Taiwanese dramas before, like Smiling Pasta and such, in which the action strongly resembled that of mangas or animes, I could only describe them as “childish” compared to the “highly serious” Korean dramas. I ended up generalizing – I could not be more wrong. Hear Me is, in fact, one of the most adorable and endearing movies I have ever seen, hands down. Dialogue is scarce owing to the disability that is the highlight of this movie, only existing because of Tian Kuo’s pair of highly talkative parents and the few characters who serve to move the story forward. In most scenes, words are useless, as Tian Kuo, Yang Yang and Xiao Peng use everything from expression and body language to sign language to get their thoughts and feelings across – and they express themselves so intensely and truthfully that they make words seem useless.

One of the things I love about Eddie Peng’s acting is the amusing, but nevertheless accurate, portrayal of a young man falling in love. The awkwardness of trying to get to know the other person better, the hope to help or make them happy, the sadness of being rejected or the desperation of wanting to make up with them – everything is so wonderfully acted that it is adorable. Tian Kuo is the one who provides almost all the comic relief – I have burst out laughing more than a few times watching Tian Kuo think of ways to apologize for angering Yang Yang, or sprout an expression of naive bliss after receiving his parents’ approval regarding his relationship with her (Mom must think I am crazy by now…).

Ivy Chen has impressed me as much as Eddie, her portrayal of the conflicting feelings of Yang Yang so accurate and intense it was almost heartbreaking. I personally found her eyes highly expressive, more so than I have ever seen in any other actress; during her fight with Tian Kuo, or with Xiao Peng, her sister, her eyes spoke volumes of the turmoil inside her heart. Her gestures and sign language were also a very expressive tool, her movements sharp during tense moments, or quite shy and reserved in romantic ones. At one point, it made me want to cry – yes, this is how good this movie is.

Despite not having very high expectations at the beginning, I was surprised to find this movie entertaining and well-acted. I do not regret spending more than an hour watching it and I can honestly say that time was well-spent. I have reconsidered my feelings about Taiwanese movies, so let this movie change yours, too. What are you waiting for? Go see it!

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