Na yi tian wo men hui fei

I happened to come across the 2015 Hong Kong movie "She Remembers, He Forgets" (aka "Na yi tian wo men hui fei") in 2020. Granted, I hadn't even heard about the movie prior to sitting down to watch it; but it being a Hong Kong made movie was more than sufficient to make me have an active interest in actually watching it.

Well, as this being a romantic drama I must be honest and say that the movie wasn't particularly outstanding. Sure, it was watchable and had some nice enough moments here and there, and some good acting performances, but the storyline and script was just a bit too bland and mediocre for my liking. While "She Remembers, He Forgets" definitely wasn't a bad movie, it just suffered from being too mediocre.

Miriam Chin Wah Yeung definitely carried the movie quite well with her performance in this 2015 movie from director Adam Wong.

As the movie ended, I must admit that I wasn't left with a fulfilled sensations. I felt as if director Adam Wong left out crucial parts to the storyline, because the movie didn't feel wholehearted to me.

I am rating "She Remembers, He Forgets" a mediocre five out of ten stars. It was watchable and semi-entertaining, but this was nowhere near a bright and outstanding moment in Hong Kong cinema.

How does the past defines us? What do our choices set in motion? Yes we do wonder sometimes what would have been if we had chosen a different path, but we can not really tell what would have been. Sometimes we even forget what that one moment was that made us choose and set us on our path. This movie is in the present but deals with the past too.

So the two timelines are there and even though we "know" the outcome, the movie is more than decently told and we get a main character who lives through it all with us. Very fine acting and directing, waving the strands nicely and in a manner that is interesting to watch

There were many magical moments of school nostalgia through the movie. The nostalgia of teenage friendships and school life is universal, and resonated just as much.

While on one side, the relationships hold the viewer's interest, the adventurous scientific spirit of learning is another aspect that has been presented mesmerizingly.

There is a honesty to the story line. There is lot of humor in good taste. A heart warming watch.

It was a film about Choice. There was once a guy come across your life, you two are so close and you think he is almost the Mr. Right. However, there is another choice and you think is even better, so you didn't choose this guy finally. And he generally fades out from your life.

And after years, you face many difficulties in life. And somehow you will think if I choose him rather than the current one. Will my life would have any different? Or did my original choice correct? This was the main theme of the movie.

I know this plot is the very old school, but the key point is how you can present it. We all know Steven Spielberg is the best in telling stories, Adam Wong is a "new" director, in his 40, it is his 2nd movie. Hong Kong is struggling after 1997 and so for the local Movie Industry. The Movie annual production drops from 300+ in the 1990s to less than 50 in 2014.

The main difficulties for a local movie are there is a huge market, China next door. However the audience and govt requirement, yes if you want to go into China market, you need to pass very harsh rules by the Government which will censor the movie plot/crews/production and nearly every aspect. So for Movie Producer/Director/Actor in Hong Kong struggle in the past 10+ years to find a way to adapt to the China Market. And the result is a disaster and we almost kill the Hong Kong Movie Industry ourselves, with only very few exceptions.

After all these years, two approach seems working, one is to produce very politically-correct / safe movie. Another one is just forget the China market (at least not think it as a primary market) and produce a movie at least can touch and impress the Hong Kong local market first. Try to win the local audience heart and thus aims something bigger.

This is what Adam Wong achieved.

"She remembers, He forgets" is telling a very simple story by heart. The title actually tells the whole story plot and development. FengZhi (played by Miriam Yeung for Adult, and Cecilia So for Young), remembers to an old friend, BoMan So (played by Xiu Hin Wu) after she found her husband ShingWa Pang (played by Jan Lamb for Adult, Yau Hawk Sau for Young) have an affair with a Shanghai Girl.

Then the Story went back 20 years ago, where FengZhi (played by Cecilia So) meets BoMan and ShingWa in High School. They become the good friend and then on an open day, an incident changes the their life completely.

Be frank I didn't write a single Movie review, but after I watch this film. I would like to completely suggest this movie not only for HongKonger but everyone. It contains enough humor and plots that make you smile, and sometimes cries.

In simple words, it touches me. And I hope you will feel the same.

This film is quite slow to start with, but as the past unfolds it gets increasingly gripping. It is a simple but heartfelt plot about nostalgia and regrets.