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Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to be a writer
Sci-fi
Horror
And, you guessed it
Romance!
Even my literature teacher was confused
"Why romance of all things?"
Despite being seen as a lesser genre
Romance movies are often the most grounded
And the least preachy way to explore social topics
Homosexuality
Transgender romance
Immigration
Sickness
Class divide and more
These deep ties to its local society mean
Rom-coms that breaks through international borders are rare
But that also means the genre is an excellent entry point
To experience the lives of everyday people from around the world
Valentine's Day is approaching
So, let me introduce you to three heartfelt Hong Kong romance movies
Three films that have mass appeal
And made an impact on Hong Kong pop culture
Let them fill your heart with warmth
And also opens your eyes to a corner of the world you may not be familiar with
In the name of love
Let our journey begin
[WHAT YOU CAN LEARN FROM HK ROMANCE FILMS]
[CHAPTER ONE]
First, 1996's seminal classic
Comrades: Almost a Love Story
The film tells the unlikely love story
Between two Chinese Mainland migrants in 80s British Hong Kong
How loneliness in a big city brings them together
How the hardships they face as migrants drive them apart
The film begins with our protagonist, Xiao Jun, arriving in Hong Kong
With his narration
We learn about the massive cultural and language barrier he is facing
"My auntie is the only one I can understand"
"Don't call me auntie. Call me Rosie"
The theme of the movie is immediately apparent
As we are shown the horrid environment migrant workers live in
But Xiao Jun doesn't mind
He's not the brightest of the bunch, to begin with
He's like Forrest Gump
Hard-working, single-minded, and charming in his own way
One day, in a McDonald's
Xiao Jun meets a fellow Mainlander, Li Qiao
Xiao Jun has trouble ordering in Cantonese
So, Li Qiao, rather reluctantly, talks to him in fluent Mandarin
"Dine in or take out?"
Which understandably makes Xiao Jun very happy
What you may not understand is why Li Qiao is so reluctant at speaking Mandarin
"We are comrades"
"Absolutely not"
"I speak Cantonese"
"We watch Hong Kong VHS, drinks Vitasoy"
"We are so much closer to Hong Kong"
You see, I do the same thing, too
I always find it uncomfortable to speak Chinese in public
People look at me funny when I do that
Heck, people look at me funny when I speak with a foreign accent
The pressure to fit in is strong
No one wants to get noticed as an outsider
"Newspaper said, 1 in 5 people in Hong Kong are Mainlanders"
"They are everywhere"
"You just don't notice"
This social pressure brings people together as a community
But also drives them apart
When everyone is trying to fit in
Those who don't or have yet to fit in are often despised and shunned
But either out of loneliness or charmed by Xiao Jun's naïveté
The two end up getting closer, and closer
Hong Kong is both too big and too cramped
And so, their love blossoms in the cracks of this concrete jungle
While the harsh environment continually tries to kill it
Living in a materialistic society
Li Qiao just wants to get rich and live a good life
The anxiety is too great
"I can't predict the future"
"I'm scared. I'm confused. I don't know what to do."
And when the stock market crashes
Li Qiao had no choice but to resort to working as a masseur
While not exactly prostitution
Sexual services are more or less implicit
And that's the thing about migrant workers
They migrate because they are promised a better life
"In Hong Kong, everything is possible if you work hard"
A hope that, more often than not, will not come true
And so, reality once again tears them apart
And that's where I'll stop explaining the plot
How will it be resolved?
You'll have to watch the movie to find out
Almost a Love Story is truly a phenomenal film
It makes me smile
It makes me sad
It makes me feel helpless
It makes me feel all of that at the same time
It's a brilliant look into the life and hardship of the migrant community
And an emotional tale of small love in a big city
Not the happiest or the funniest film on the list
But still heartfelt and touching
This one is for all my fellow drifters in life
[SPONSORED MESSAGE]
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And show yourself to the world!
[CHAPTER TWO]
Next up, for something a bit more lighthearted
2010's cult classic, Love in a Puff
In 2007, Hong Kong banned smoking in all indoor areas outside of private residences
To take a smoke break
Working-class people now have to huddle around a garbage can in back alleys
As a result, these alleys became a social area
Where people gossip and make friends
It is during these smoke breaks
That our protagonists Jimmy and Cherie meet each other
Unlike most rom-coms, this movie has no dramatic journey
No big confession of love
No big historical context
Just two people bonding via chit-chat
"Have you thought about why UFOs are so rare in Hong Kong"
"It's so common overseas"
The natural, almost improv dialogue often wanders into random topics
It's so realistic; the movie feels like a candid look
Into the lives of actual working-class people
"Gotta blow. Have a job to do"
"You got a blowj*b to do!?"
For a famously busy city
Small encounters like these are precious
They are brief but tangible
Whereas actual social events like karaoke or late-night hotpot
Have more formality
And as a result, people become less real
They become part of the city and not part of themselves
"Cigarettes?"
Take a look at the cinematography
The city of Hong Kong has this verticality to it
It's so narrow and filled with dead ends, walls, and barriers
It really feels like an overgrown concrete jungle
How working-class people spend their limited free time in this environment
And how they find love efficiently and truthfully
Become a topic this film explores
"I just want to go out for a walk"
In this film, a walk around the street corner at night
Feels like the most romantic thing ever
Sharing a cigarette fire is like sharing a kiss
And with these mundane but intimate moments
The two grow ever closer to each other
It is so charming to see their relationship develop
Partly because of their outstanding performances
But also because I think we can all relate that feeling
Of craving a non-digital, in-person relationship
Quirky, slow, and meditative
This charming little indie film gives a ground-level experience
Of living as a regular person in a metropolis
Because of all the swearings, the movie received a Category III rating
Causing the film the bomb in its first week of release
But word of mouth spread quickly, and the film rebounded
It is now considered a cult classic, spawning two sequels
Truly a film of the common folks
If you want to experience Hong Kong's everyday life
Give this a watch
[CHAPTER THREE]
Last but not least, 2003's Turn Left, Turn Right
Oh, I remember when this movie came out
Turn Left, Turn Right is a Hong Kong Singapore co-production
Directed by two Hong Kong-based directors
Adapted from a Taiwanese illustrated book
Featuring Hong Kong actress Gigi Leung
And Taiwanese-Japanese actor Takeshi Kaneshiro
It was filmed in Taipei
And the first Chinese-language Asian film to be produced and distributed by Warner Bros.
Despite being filmed in Taiwan
Most actors spoke Cantonese while filming
"It's fine. Love conquers all"
But most of its publicity
Including the featurette on the Japanese DVD, are filmed in Mandarin
"I do believe in love at first sight"
Ah yes, Japanese DVD
This movie was a pretty big hit in Asia when it first came out
If that sounds complicated
That's because it is
The film's multi-region production is so inherent to its identity
I don't remember the last time the world felt this interconnected to me
How appropriate, because this is a film about connections
John and Eve live in the same apartment building
Separated by just a wall
Yet they never met
Eve always turns left when she leaves
John always turns right when he leaves
They have crossed path numerous time before
But never met each other
Living their lonely lives
Their best friends are
"Thank you"
The animals in the city
Until one faithful day, at a circular fountain
Their paths converge
And it turns out to be the happiest day of their lives
The film explores the concept of Yuanfen
A concept similar to luck
Chinese people often believe it is Yuanfen that brings people together
If Yuanfen hasn't arrived
You can be sleeping next to each other without realizing it
But when Yuanfen arrives
No matter how far apart, it'll bring you together
But like fate, it has a sense of humor
Sometimes, it can be downright cruel
After writing down each other's phone number
They part ways
Not realizing this is the only scene they'll share in the film
The rain has washed away their phone numbers
Not knowing each other's name
Eve and John desperately try to find each other
They call every number they can think of
"Funeral home, hello?"
"Wrong number, sorry"
To no avail
They revisit the park they met in
Only to realize it is in the process of closing permanently
That encounter, it was as if it had never happened
Yuanfen, like luck, can be used up
Once it is up, no matter how hard you try
Destiny does not yield
Worst yet, it brings them to people whom they don't want to meet
"Second day in school, I was holding a bunch of flowers"
"Yelling 'surprise' at you"
In my life, I have lost connections with many people
Many of which I lost right around the time this movie came out
A small part of me ceaselessly chased after fame
Be a filmmaker
Be a YouTuber
Is because I want my name out there
To be famous enough to be found again
Watching John and Eve tirelessly trying to find each other again
Yelling into the city waiting for a response
It is heartbreaking
But, once again, I'll end my summary here
And let you find out if they'll ever reconnect
If, like me, you have friends and loved ones you regret losing
You have stories left unfinished
This is a comedic, poetic
Lovely little film for you
[IN CONCLUSION]
Romance as a genre is often looked down upon
To a point where we even dismissed the concept of love
Many find it too girly, too feminine
Which I think is such utter bullsh*t
Some of our oldest and greatest stories are about love
Like the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice A myth so influential
It became the template for nearly all modern romance movies
Heck, all four of China's great folktales are love stories
Clearly, love is part of our nature and culture
All three of today's films tackle the same subject matter
The loneliness of living in a city
Living so close together
But always failing to find each other
Seeing the happiness expressed by these characters and their relationships
Makes me realize how precious love truly is
How did we manage to be so alone
Living in a place teeming with people?
And maybe, that's also something we can learn from Hong Kong romance films
Maybe if we are more open to talking about love
We, too, can be a bit happier
A bit closer