Xing yuan

Call me mean for laughing at this obvious but awkward attempt to jerk tears out of the unsuspecting audience. I am not a heartless soul, but yet, this movie just tries too hard to play the melodramatic moments that I can't help to ponder that other movies of similar vein have done better jobs (e.g. Heaven Can't Wait).

The plot is simple: A blind man given a chance to return to Earth for 5 days to finish unfinished business, but there is a rule: he can't reveal who he is, and those who are close to him can't recognize him. So he returns to Earth to meet his long lost ones, only to meet competition...

You can't really call this plot original, so the movie must survive on its cast and its ability to move the hearts of the audience. As for the cast, Cecilia was quite good in her role. Unfortunately, Rickie (Onion) had just overacted his part. The transformation of him from a blind man, to a jealous boy friend, to a fulfilled philospher ready to accept his fate, only to become the lover again, all in a matter of 5 days, was just too incredulous. I guess when time is short, people do tend to achieve more.

But I can't forgive the film for its obvious attempts to jerk tears off the audience... Don't get me wrong, I would love a cry if the movie expresses genuine, deep, sad moments, but this movie just isn't. For a direct comparison, check out Heaven Can't Wait, now, that is a true classic which deserves a good cry over.

A 5/10 in my book.

"Fly Me to Polaris" ("Xing Yuan") is one of the top three Hong Kong movies that had an impact on me and my movie viewing history. Why? Well because it is simply a very heartfelt and warm story, a romantic story that is very sad and beautiful.

The movie's two lead roles, played by Richie Ren (playing Onion/Cheuk) and Cecilia Cheung (playing Autumn Yue) have such great on-screen chemistry together that it really is a perfect match. And truth be told, then Cecilia Cheung is cut out for these particular type of roles, because she aces it here in "Fly Me to Polaris", just as she did in "Failan".

The story is quite beautiful and moving. It is about a blind and dumb man who works at a hospital, where he has fallen in love with a reclusive nurse. Tragedy strikes, leaving the man to die, but he is given five days on Earth to be reunited with his love. Unfortunately he cannot reveal his true identity. But the power of love and the powers of fate always have a way of setting things right.

If you enjoy Asian cinema, and Hong Kong cinema in particular, then you definitely have to acquaint yourself with "Fly Me to Polaris", if you haven't already done so, because this is one of the most brilliant movie moments in the non-action genre to come out of Hong Kong. And the movie is accompanied by a beautiful title track that is brilliantly sung by Cecilia Cheung.

A word of advice, if you are the sentimental type, then you might want to have a tissue or two at hand when you watch this movie.

Based on the film, "Heaven Can Wait," it is the story of a blind patient (Richie Ren) who falls in love with his nurse (Cecilia Cheung). Just when their relationship seems to be heading in the right direction, the patient is killed in a traffic accident. Soon after, he is in heaven, and one of the gatekeepers tell him that he is the 6th billion person to die, and that every billion person gets a wish. His wish is, of course, to return to Earth to see his love for one last time.

There are restrictions, if this is to happen. He can't tell her that he is who he is. There are many instances where he tries but physically can't. And he must return within 5-10 days. I forget. His final warning is that every person who has returned to Earth has regretted it.

The fact that Onion is blind either works well or doesn't, because seeing as how beautiful Cheung is, it is really hard to suspend belief that she would have trouble doubting Onion's love.

The story is very simple, and you must suspend belief about heaven, the afterlife, and the goodness of people to believe in this movie. I personally LOVED this film. It personifies love without it being cheesy or gratuitous. However, I cannot say that this film is optimistic.

The soundtrack is amazing. It uses saxophones, windchimes, and gives off a tempetuous and bittersweet mood of love lost. Cecilia Cheung even does the title track on this film. It is a haunting and melancholy song, called "Star Wish," which is the actual translation of the movie's title. The setting is in a sprawling hospital, where the nurses live on residency. The main colour motifs are white and gray, giving a wash of purity, innocence and perhaps a sense of calm after the storm.

They could have cast a better "Onion" (Ren), because his overt happiness and just general sense of lacking acting capabilities leave something to be desired. But the person who shows the most promise and natural talent is Cecilia Chueng (Autumn), considering the fact that she was so young, and it was her second film. She brings a naturalness to the film. She is beautiful yet contemplative. She is sad yet fresh.

There really is no flaw in this movie, and if there is, other factors far outweigh the bad.

The movie itself was quite touching, however, the plot was still vague. Onion (Richie Ren) interprets a blind man, and does a good job, as well as the nurse (Cecilia Cheung). But the movie itself lacks many effects, and shows an empty scenario. However, the main actors did quite an accomplished job. Acting as blind when you can actually see is rather a difficult task, just as Richie did. But for the love plot, let's not expect too much. In my opinion, the movie was interesting, but lacks too many points, and it's a comedy rather than a love story.

This movie is a fine example of the amalgamation of Hollywood's hey-day and Chinese ideals. There is no sex, no foul language, the story is simple and beautiful, and full of Chinese values.

It follows a blind and dumb actor who dies, and is granted five days in which he can see, and speak, but no one will recognize him. The performance of the male lead is magical. His facial expressions and mannerisms light up the movie, and the female lead matches his enthusiasm perfectly. The music in the movie is superb, and launches the viewer into a place and time of beauty and substance.

Although the English subtitles are misspelled through most of the film, I (a native English speaker from America), and all the Chinese friends who were watching with me were moved to tears. I recommend it to anyone of any nationality.