Smiles will lift the blues

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Compiled by YP cadet Ruby Leung
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Take a break from exam revision and relax by having a laugh at our pick of comedy films

Compiled by YP cadet Ruby Leung |
Published: 
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The HKDSE has officially begun and, no doubt, many of you are stressing out. It's understandable, and a bit of adrenaline will probably help you when you open that test paper. But with too much stress, you could mess up your exams.

So pay attention to the old saying, "Laughter is the best medicine". Scientists have proved that laughing really does improve your health, including stress reduction. It encourages circulation and relaxes your muscles.

To help ease the tension, Young Post's Easter holiday cadets have made a list of their all-time-favourite comedy films. Plan a study break, grab your fellow stress-heads, make some popcorn - and laugh out loud at these gems.

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted

This 2012 film is the third and most impressive episode in this hilarious animated series. The films have been popular with people of all ages. This time, Alex the lion, Melman the giraffe, Gloria the hippopotamus and Marty the zebra decide that they can get back to New York City by joining a travelling circus, based in Monte Carlo. But as always, things don't go according to plan.

The main characters meet monkeys and other animals in the circus, and help it gain popularity. However, they keep messing things up, and the best scenes are those where they have to tackle different problems.

Angel To

Starter for 10

This 2006 film, based on David Nicholls' novel of the same name, is set in 1985. The film follows the adventures of the clueless Brian Jackson (James McAvoy), a first-year student at Britain's Bristol University, and the nutty people he meets there.

Jackson's first lines are: "Ever since I can remember, I've wanted to be clever. Some people are born clever the same way some people are born beautiful. I'm not one of those people. I'm gonna have to work at it."

The film focuses on his efforts to "be clever" as he joins the university's team entered in the British television quiz show, University Challenge, with its catchphrase, "Your starter for 10".

Benedict Cumberbatch co-stars as the arrogant yet entertaining team captain. Just as in his performance in TV's Sherlock Holmes, you wouldn't want to miss a line he utters.

Thanks to hilarious dialogue, bittersweet moments and a great 1980s soundtrack, Starter For 10 proves a charming and nostalgic film, which reminds us we're not alone in feeling exam stress.

Ruby Leung

Sister Act

This is my favourite comedy. It is the funniest and the most exciting musical I've ever watched. And I've watched it again and again. It tells the amusing story of Deloris (Whoopi Goldberg), a singer working in a casino, who witnesses a crime. She goes into witness protection, disguising herself as a nun in a convent. The best scene is when Deloris is kidnapped by the crooks who want to kill her, and she keeps singing hymns to dissuade the bad guys, who are deeply religious. It's so funny to see the kidnappers sing along, too, saying sorry to Jesus for their bad behaviour. Essential viewing.

Jessie Pang

Mr Bean's Holiday

Mr Bean (Rowan Atkinson) goes to Cannes, in France, after winning a ticket in a lucky draw.

The usual Bean craziness follows - including him getting a lift from a famous French actress while hitchhiking, dumping a plate of oysters into a woman's handbag, and befriending a young boy when he is separated from his father, a Russian movie critic.

Atkinson creates great comic scenes using few words - relying on slapstick and exaggerated body movements and facial expressions. It's the perfect film to make you smile - and forget your worries.

Joyce Kan

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