Reviewed by: grimes Date: 04/08/2000 n my review of Yesterme, Yesteryou, Yesterday, I commented on the similarities between that film and the American sitcom The Wonder Years. Shelly Kraicer has since informed me via email that the person who created the first film had indeed seen The Wonder Years and that this is all very intentional. This film features several plot points that seem to have been lifted almost directly from The Wonder Years, primarily from the last season. This film picks up the story of Bobby (Bo in the first film) a few years after the end of Yesteryou, Yesterme, Yesterday. Our main character is now happily dating Ting-Ting, who caused him so much sorrow in the first film, but the rest of his life is fairly similar. He has the same best friend and the same family. A side note: Ting-Ting's English name is Winnie. This must be a direct tip of the hat to The Wonder Years. The literal translation of the title, First Love Sweetheart, is actually a bit misleading. At least it's misleading if you think this first love is Ting-Ting. In fact, Bobby soon meets an older (and taller) woman named Sharon (played by Eileen Tung Oi-Lung). It's not quite as predictable as you might think from watching the first twenty minutes though. There are a few little surprises in store for the viewer. There are also various subplots involving his relationship with his best friend and his father. Leslie Cheung has a brief cameo which provides for an amusing inside joke about A Better Tomorrow. This film has a very sweetly nostalgic tone. Much like in the first film, it covers a maturing period in the life of the main character, as he is forced to deal with a new set of adult responsibilities and choices. Unlike the first film, I found myself a feeling bit less sympathetic towards Bobby. In this film, he is much less the underdog than he was the first time. He is still awkward sometimes (what teenager is not?) but he's quite a bit more capable, even somewhat of an operator (although with a fundamentally good heart). I am extremely curious to see the third film in this series, which I suspect will be somewhat different since it follows the character to college (something The Wonder Years never did) and so will have an entirely new dynamic to it.

Reviewed by: hkcinema Date: 12/21/1999 Growing up is a sweet experience. Bobby remembers his youthfuldreams, the joys of love and the pains of separation. He also remembers that summer of '85 when he adored a woman named Sharon. [Reviewed by Tai Seng Catalog]

Reviewed by: hkcinema Date: 12/08/1999 It's hard for me to pin-point exactly why I like this movie - maybe it's the feeling of nostalgia, or veiled jibes at post-modernist cinema. Certainly the story is not very original - and some scenes are a bit awkward. However, there's also some real keeness in the storytelling which made for a enjoyable movie. Pretty good effort for first time director Joe Ma. (6.5/10) [Reviewed by Christopher Fu]