Comrades, Almost a Love Story

This movie is much more than a conventional romance, with the typical meet-cute sequence and plot-convenient obstacles that get neatly resolved. I'm thinking of the typical American Meg-Ryan-Julia-Roberts movie, where everyone is inexplicably wealthy, no one has any real problems, and all the "wrong" boy/girl-friends are shrews or dorks ... so the audience has nothing to do but wait for the inevitable and unrealistic end.

This movie represents some other real-life complications, such as coping without a lot of money, and shows the characters struggling with, and taking responsibilities for, their relationships and commitments.

The two leads, Maggie Cheung & Leon Lai, are terrific. Also wonderful is the supporting performance by Eric Tsang as Pao Au-Yeung. This is a thoughtful and beautiful movie about real people and real love.

This fable of comrades (i.e. people from Mainland China migrating to Hong Kong in pursuit of their dreams) and lovers Maggie Cheung and Leon Lai is generally enjoyable, although at times I found it hard to believe, as it relies a lot on luck, coincidence and predestination. It may be that luck protects those with a noble soul, surely the spirit of Teresa Teng must have watched over the two comrades from a very close point of view!

The first half is very entertaining and energetic, as it follows the ups and downs of the protagonists, as they experience the frenetic life of Hong Kong, with its fast jobs, fast money and fast food. At the same time, Leon and Maggie also discover the negative aspects of their stay: the stock market landslides and, more over, the loneliness of living alone in a big city. Inevitably, they fall in love with each other and yet try to remain detached, as they have way too different aspirations: Maggie Cheung is a business-oriented girl, while Leon Lai is more idealistic and, more over, is already engaged. Among the most memorable moments is the bunch of wishes that the two comrades exchange, in celebration of the New Lunar Year!

The arrival of Leon Lai's girlfriend to HK marks a big change of pace in the movie, as an ocean of problems, sorrows and regrets await the two protagonists: second half is very melodramatic, be warned! Anyway, the movie is definitely worth the viewing, if it were only for the thorough portrait of Hong Kong it offers. 7/10

This movie is delightful from start to finish. Although some of the coincidences and chance meetings are highly improbable (both going to NYC? Both watching the same TV set at the same time?), they cannot spoil what is a genuinely touching and moving experience.

Instead of a the usual scenario where two people try desperately to find love, the two leads, Li Chiao (Maggie Cheung) and Li Xiao Jun (Leon Lai), try desperately to avoid it. Both Mainlanders, she has come to Hong Kong to make her fortune; he has come to earn enough money to marry his long-time fiancée back on the Mainland. Through a brief meeting in a McDonalds where Li Chiao works one of her several part-time jobs, and Xiao Jun has come to experience the unknown-in-his-hometown food, they become friends. They discover a shared love for the songs of Taiwanese singer Teresa Tang, which become the soundtrack to their relationship. Both are lonely, and gradually they form a genuine friendship, then a not-so-casual intimate relationship. Their struggle to remain true to their original goal in coming to Hong Kong leads to an emotional crisis for both them and their partners. The struggle takes place over a ten year period, during which they separate only to keep bumping into one another and reopening old wounds. The resolution of this struggle is sweet indeed.

The lead actors are both exceptional, particularly Leon Lai, who always seemed to be playing a variation on himself until this film. He is completely believable as the naive and trusting Xiao Jun, and Maggie Cheung is, as ever, radiant and affecting. The songs of Teresa Tang are used to great effect, one of which gives the film it's title (Tian mi mi, the title of the Chinese version, roughly translates as Sweet Like Honey).

Loses a point for the number of coincidences, but otherwise unreservedly recommended.

This brilliant love epic spans 10 years and traces the star-crossed relationship between two Chinese immigrants who are mysteriously drawn to each other and find comfort in each other's experiences. Though certain coincidences are perhaps unrealistic at first glimpse, the scriptwriters handle it extremely well, embedding them in a believable situation. The direction is flawless, the casting is perfect. Leon's innocent face is exquisite and Maggie's strength and determination deem her a likable heroine. Perhaps slow for non-romantics, this movie paints a beautiful portrait of ideal love, one which surpasses time and place and confirms the ideal belief that certain things are meant to happen in our life. This movie addresses many issues at a level yet unreached by Hollywood and it can really teach westerners a lesson on how to bring out the essence of true love.

Other reviewers have said it well: this is a wonderfully romantic film. I hate to make a statement like, "It's the Asian version of . . . ", because the film doesn't need a comparison to any American film to have an identity, BUT it has several things in common with "The Way We Were", "Comrades" follows an up-and-down romance over the span of several years and has that same quality of bittersweet fate hanging over them throughout. The early scenes in which Li Xiaojun (Leon Lai) and Li Qiao (Maggie Cheung) begin their love affair are particularly entertaining. A favorite scene: Li Xiaojun helping Li Qiao on with her coat, they get closer and closer, their lips brush together, then they embrace, then a full on kiss, then mutual passion overtakes them as they both feverishly unbutton that same coat they had just been struggling to button. The scene is both sweetly romantic and humorous.

Another similarity to "The Way We Were" is that both films benefit from a tear-inducing song, in this case a love song by Taiwanese singer Teresa Tang which plays a vital role in the plot. Great job of direction by Peter Chan and a wonderful script, but it's the performance by Maggie Cheung that really sells the film. From the moment you see her behind the counter at McDonald's you're hooked by her energy, spunk, attitude, and determination. Her character runs the gamut of emotions during the course of the film and there wasn't one false moment in her performance. She is totally believable, whether she's flashing a self-satisfied grin into her ATM machine or dealing with a devastating loss (I won't give it away, but Cheung's reaction is heart-wrenching). "Comrades" is truly a wonderful film.