Shap yee yeh

This movie goes through 12 significant nights (not consecutive nights) in a relationship between two characters. The movie offers some insight into the repetion involved in relationship cycles from interest through various tensions to eventual disinterest. There are many cute scenes, but it isn't exactly a life-changing movie.

Picked up this DVD during the Holiday Season and watched it in the middle of the 4 visits to the cinema on account of Return of The King over a period of three weeks. (The above gibberish was inserts to allow this piece to qualify for the minimum 10 lines for IMDB posting).

This romance-city-style flick is directed by Lam Oi-wah, one of the three young women directors in Hong Kong aspiring to be Sofia Copolla. The other two are Lai Miu-suet (Floating Landscape) and Barbara Wong (6th floor, rear flat). Moving along briskly, with two of the best young artists in town, 12 Nights goes down like a light Napa Valley sparkling rosé, depicting the couple's stumbling along the bitter sweet reality of relationships. Eason Chan's acting talent is sometimes obscured by his clowning around. Cecilia has since gone on to better things, including winning this year's Best Actress in Hong Kong's equivalent of the Oscar. Nice movie.

The idea was there, and probably it'd make a good book, but I'm afraid this is no Shakespeare, either literally or not.

Twelve Nights tells of the ups and downs of a relationship, not over 12 consecutive nights as the story might suggest, but 12 particular snapshots. Jeannie (Cecilia Cheung) turns up to her birthday party only to find that her boyfriend may be cheating on her. Meanwhile, Alan (Eason) and his girlfriend are on the verge of breakup. They meet after Jeannie's party, as Alan accompanies her back to her flat. A relationship blooms and eventually, the natural questions are asked.

The scenes in this film are unfortunately too short. Given that all Chinese films have this unwritten rule (or maybe it is written), that films have to be an hour and a half long and no longer, 12 nights only leaves on average 7.5 minutes for each night... As a consequence the characters can't really develop very much, and I'm left feeling that I wish I knew the characters a little bit more before the end. And that's the real downfall. For me, it appears there isn't that much the actors have to do except go through the motions. There is very little depth in the story.

Ultimately, though, this film was a stepping stone for two talented actors. Eason Chan and Cecilia Cheung have done well since and well deserved. But for this film, I'm afraid it's probably one to leave on the shelf unless you want the full collection of films of either actor.

"Even as fictional characters, Jeannie and Alan are devoid of personalities, or singularities to engage us, they're two ordinary people with their very common foibles, Alan's paternalistic, sexist view on woman is excruciatingly dated and exasperating, ergo, you might steadfastly rally behind Jeanine, which leaves Lam's strenuous unpicking of a modern relationship moot. You see, Alan is a chauvinistic pig, Jeannie deserves better, as a result, everything goes against Lam's supposedly it-takes-two-to-tango supposition (she is a silly girl who takes fortune telling as read.)"

read my full review on my blog: cinema omnivore, thanks.