Sang yat fai lok

Just want to say – Happy Birthday This movie gives new meaning to the cliché – Happy Birthday. It true that whenever it is your birthday, your phone rings more than 10 usual days combined. Usually, you will receive a wishing of happy birthday from voice mails, calls and SMS. Happy Birthday, reminded Neo of someone, it is a funny feeling, how you never realise, until something that sparks your memory. For the last five years, a special friend would either call or leave a message saying happy birthday, even though Neo never remembers her birthday. It made Neo feel bad, as every year he either forgets or he really do not know when her birthday is – August or June? With a brink of an eye, it has been 5 years and hopefully this year, I will somehow be able to call her on her birthday to say – happy birthday. Director Jingle Ma loves to manipulate the audience emotions and after 8 years since the emotionally appealing Fly Me to Polaris, Ma is back in form.

Jingle Ma have created a beautifully filmed movie that goes back and forward in time about a couple that is born for each other, and yet for whatever reasons, preferred to remain best friends, rather than lovers. It is touching and emotionally charged piece of melodrama that works better than all those cliché from the Korean industry nowadays. It is refreshing to witness a romantic drama that keeps you at the edge of your seat and at the same time, providing the audience with a relaxing mood of watching a pair of hopeless romantic. Ma explores the themes of love and how sometimes, believing in a white lie is better than knowing the cynical truth. Sometimes, you wonder, is it really better to remain friends, so that you can always love her, rather than take the risk as lovers. Louis Koo produces an extremely likable performance, but pale in comparison to the fine acting of his counterpart. Still, Koo is immensely likable as he never gave up his love for Rene, even when he is with other people. Rene Liu outshines Koo in every scene, as her character seems more real and impacting to the audience. Her character is full of depth and there are dramatic moments of her imminent shouting in the car and her teary eyes tell the story of someone regretting what could have been. It is a movie that is driven by her controlled performance and certainly an outside chance of lifting the Best Actress Award later this month.

If there is an aspect of the film that can be improved, will be the age of the two leading stars. Louis Koo is 36 and Rene Liu is around that age, it is almost truism to say that they were not convincing in the scene when they were supposed to be 19. It is an outrageous piece of sequence, as Koo and Liu looks nothing like 19, despite both making every effort, from hair, make up to movements and even the atmosphere of a karaoke, it is still not believable. Apart from this minor detachment, the film is a piece of quality cinema and perhaps one of Jingle Ma's most accomplished films. While Fly to Polaris, relies more on cheating the audience and some fine performances from Richie Yen and Cecilia Cheung to create an emotional connection. Happy Birthday adds an extra layer and it is through the emotionally charged script by Sylvia Chang, based on a story by Rene Liu.

All in all, Happy Birthday, despite Neo's acclamation is till a work that very much relying on a cliché at the end to cheat the audience into teary minded. However, the most important thing is that it worked and in that Ma should be given full credit. It is a beautiful feeling when you receive a message or a call on your birthday and a feeling that can not be described in words. It is even wonderful, when you receive messages from people that you may think have forgotten you. Ma have clearly created a film worth watching and reminding us that a few words can mean to lot to someone. It is funny how you always think you made the right decision, until later regretting it when it becomes too late. May be it is human nature to doubt or may be we are just making excuses for ourselves constantly. Before finishing up, let's answer yourself a question - Is it someone's birthday today? If so, just go and say the two beautiful words…

I rate it 8.5/10.

• www.thehkneo.com

It's difficult to sit through this movie, at least for me. Identifying with certain elements brought back some memories that I try to keep at the back of my mind, and going into this movie with slight expectations of the storyline reminded me of what a friends once said, that I'm a sucker for punishment. And yes, this movie dragged a bit, and moves along in cruise control, until the final act where it sledgehammers emotions all the way to an expected cliché ending.

But it is the emotions and thoughts of modern day relationships that makes this movie quite depressing. Based on a short story written by actress Rene Liu herself, and adapted for the big screen by renowned actress/director Sylvia Chang, Happy Birthday, stripped bear of its emotions, is actually a vanilla plain love story which is done ad nauseam. It is the little nuances of the things people do, or do not, that rings the story home.

Rene plays Mi, a girl who wears a smile on her face, but deep inside hides this grave insecurity. Louis Koo, more famous last year for his Johnny To triad outings and possibly treading the same path in the upcoming Derek Yee movie Protégé, stars as Rene's lover Nam, a boy who seems to be commitment phobic, the stud to whom the chicks flock to. Put them both together, and with their obvious personality differences, you'll come to expect a very rocky road ahead. But isn't love all about taking that initial leap of faith?

Watching the two get together, then not, and then some, makes it frustrating. But I felt herein lies probably some realism, at least for me in my limited experiences, of two people trying to get together, yet prevented from doing do because of self doubt, or the lack of courage to admit your feelings. Walls get built up, and both decided to be better than best friends, because then, nobody will get heartbroken if things do not work out. What gives? It's back to the games people play.

I find it easy to identify surprisingly with both characters. The fear I can feel, and the folly of deciding to wait I've done, or perhaps still doing? And in my defenses I've set out to tell myself never to experience the type of heart sinking moments Mi felt when she learnt of good tidings from Nam. There will always remain a sense of curiosity, of wanting to maintain contact with your ex, or wanting to find out a bit more, but it's my take (some may disagree) to cut off ties completely (ok, so sometimes I waver), lest we hurt or become hurt.

It's tempting to dispense with the advice of telling someone you love them in case it becomes too late, especially after watching the movie and agreeing that holding back is one of the worst ways of handling relationships, but it's always easier to say than to do. You might be tempted to go forth and say it, however it's real life, and reality doesn't last just 1 hour and 45 minutes. I'm probably two minds about it though, with the counter argument being if you don't, you might spend equal time reminiscing on regret.

Rene Liu and Louis Koo look like the model couple, and it's pretty hard to know that the former, with her pixie looking facial features, is actually already 37 years old. And both leads actually belt out some tunes for the movie, albeit some deliberately off key. The look of the film takes on an incredible soft focus feel from start to end, and that, while romantic and dreamy during certain scenes, will take a bit of time to get used to. Veteran Richard Ng also stars in the movie, as Mi's dad, and the supporting cast of Bowie Tsang, Lawrence Chou, and a host of others helped to lift the movie from its gloom.

Happy Birthday might not be everyone's cup of tea given the style of delivery of its standard- story-with-clichéd-ending, but I guess if you open up your heart to it, you might find it a tad more enjoyable, and somehow, if you're that sentimental fool who's been there and done that, you'll feel that tinge of regret inside you.

Happy Birthday is a visually poetic portrait of a woman's inability to establish a fruitful romantic relationship owing to a lack of a sense of security.

A tragic love story can easily become a tear jerker, yet the director handles the subject with tact and tries hard to move the audience with a simple love story. Xiao Mi, influenced by her mother's sudden leave in her childhood, becomes a vulnerable girl who lacks confidence and is easily freaked out by the idea of loss. She is worried that her good-looking boyfriend will break up with her one day and that's why she refuses to call Xiao Nan her boyfriend. Her personality results in regrets...

Thanks to the Muji-like setting, the love story looks purer and simpler. The white walls, the cream-coloured cushions, the beige teapot, etc, may linger in your mind when you leave the cinema. The props are also carefully chosen to show the moving time. The soundtrack is more touching than the movie and I love the theme song very much. It has been with me for several nights. By the way, the setting and the characters' names also remind me of another movie, Turn Left Turn Right. Fans of Jimmy, a famous Taiwanese illustrator, may like this film! The cast's performance is beyond my expectation. Rene Liu's finely nuanced performance is much appreciated. Other supporting actors also act naturally, though it is not convincing for Louis Koo to act a university student when the wrinkles on his forehead can be obviously seen and Tsang Po Yee slightly overacts.

Because of the moving trailer, I expected too much before watching the movie. As a result, I was a bit disappointed owing to several reasons. First, there is an unpredictable twist at the end, but it is not an original one. I heard some people complain that the ending was old-fashioned. Second, I feel little pity for Xiao Mi as it is SHE who proposes being his best friend first and it is also SHE who regrets. If I were her, I won't announce that I wanna change the relationship. Once she does so, she should know that he can have another girlfriend and may even get married. Later, Mi even has sex with Nam while she knows that he has a girlfriend in Hong Kong! After TEN years, is it reasonable for Nam to get married with another woman when she never calls Nam her boyfriend and she allows him to have another girlfriend? Third, the first hour of the movie is a bit boring. Fourth, it is a pity that Rene's voice is dubbed into Cantonese.

Although I personally find the plot mediocre and the ending slightly disappointing, Rene's subtle performance, the Muji-like setting and those memorable and delicate quotes deserve our praise.

I gave this film a 10 out of 10 because it had achieved what I wanted out of it when I first rented the DVD, a heart-warming yet tragic love story that will squeeze the tears out of the most jaded of men.

Excellent performance by both the leads, cosy settings, good direction, and a fine piece of cinematography makes this a must-watch for a love-story traditionalist.

Some critics might argue about the ending which was unfairly labelled cliché. But in view of the avalanches of movies with radical endings; or twists, for the sake of twisting, that is in existence in almost every films produced in this era, some old-fashion clichés might not be such a bad thing.

This film jog back memories of great love tales by romance dramatist Erich Segal, yet, it is adapted from a short story written by the female lead, the multi-talented Rene Liu Ruo-ying.

Watch it. Buy it. Rent it. It will make a lovely companion on weekend evenings with a consort in tender cuddles and succoring hugs. Or maybe not.

It's a long heard story that the first woman Eve are made of a rib of the first man Adam so that the matches of ribs and Adams are going on and on for centuries outside Eden on earth. Happiness is almost guaranteed if finding the right rib; and the hell of encounters and breakups would keep haunting over if wrong matches are made. People come and go. Some do stay for a while but will leave anyway in the end, except the one and only individual.

However, will happiness finally arrive if you are lucky enough to meet your right rib or Adam? Take Xiao Mi and Xiao Nan in the movie Happy Birthday as an example. We're not suppose to blame Xiao Mi for missing her really Mr. Right. She did nothing wrong. She was just not sure, like you, like me, like everyone of the world. True love requires trust, but what if trust turns out to be a mistake. It's an eternal regret that Xiao Mi lost Xiao Nan forever. She'd better be with him in all his limited journey of life and as confident as Xiao Nan that she's the rib of his. But…but…but what if he's wrong? What if they spent some time together and then quarrels came and ended up in a permanent breakup? The king in Cinderella story said when true love came, you'd know it immediately even when you touched her hand for the very first time. Nothing stops true love. Things always come this way in fairy tales. How excellent the life will be if reality comes also this way.

It is not difficult to find a pair of arms for temporary consolation. But it is extremely a tough job to find a warm hand, leading you to his or her heart and making you stay there for now and for good. Uncertainty keeps entangling and torturing Only one thing is affirmed. That is when the rib breaks, you do hurt.