Goo nam gwa lui

A very, very average and mediocre film. The storyline isn't bad, but it is badly executed. In a series of very disjointed series of scenes, the characters never fully developed. The film never knew exactly what it wanted to be either. Billed as a romantic comedy, it had funny moments, but never seemed to go far enough. Too many unfunny moments spoiled it for me. The characters lacked chemistry and emotion between them and in many ways, the story came out just depressingly sad. Not a good ingredient in a supposedly funny movie. Anyway, it could have been done a lot better...

Popular Hong Kong pop singer Sammi Cheng usually winds up in roles where she plays the "straight man" and doesn't get the joke. Andy Lau somehow maintains his attractiveness to young women half his age - at least in his movies. This film is no exception but is nevertheless a sweet romantic comedy that plays well if you haven't tired of films in which Cheng and Lau fumble through romance.

This effort from Johnny To and his Milky Way cronies is unfortunately a huge step back for the company. While it can be admired that To (along with co-director Wai Ka Fai) is attempting a new genre, the romantic comedy, the cheap gags definitely threaten to bog down the entire picture. Andy Lau and Sammi Cheng star as Andy and Kinki, a pair of office drones in a company that somehow deals with computer chips. You can guess what happens next. The only saving grace here is Cheng's neurotic, charming performance. However, with Kinki's constant putdowns and desperate antics, this character makes Ally McBeal look like a model of feminist restraint. Lau takes his role a little too seriously and his temper tantrums threaten to turn this seemingly lightweight effort into something far more serious. A subplot about an Internet millionaire's affections for Kinki (which could've been nicely lampooned is instead squandered) never takes off. This is generally an unwatchable effort, which is hopefully only a temporary detour for Milky Way.

While "Needing You" (aka "Goo nam gwa lui") is a pretty straightforward, if not generic actually, romantic comedy, there is just something that works quite marvelously about it.

Perhaps it is the adorable storyline that writers Cindy Tang, Ka-Fai Wai and Nai-Hoi Yau managed to put together, or the adept skill of bringing the script to life from established directors Johnnie To and Ka-Fai Wai. But it may also be the on-screen chemistry that there was between lead actor Andy Lau and lead actress Sammi Cheng.

I hadn't seen "Needing You" before now in 2021, as I had the opportunity to sit down to watch it. And I must say that it was an entertaining romantic comedy. Sure, this is one of those a dime a dozen romantic comedies, but if you enjoy such movies, then "Needing You" is definitely well worth checking out.

There is a good pacing to the storyline and there are enough variation in the plot to keep it interesting from start until end. Sure, it is predictable, and the movie pans out and ends exactly as you foresee, but it was, nonetheless, an enjoyable ride.

"Needing You" also have names like Shiu Hung Hui and Suet Lam on the cast list, so if you are familiar with Hong Kong cinema during the 1990s and 2000s, then you will recognize these two actors.

I found "Needing You" to be a nice surprise and it was definitely an enjoyable romantic comedy. I am rating this 2000 Hong Kong movie a solid six out of ten stars.

Sammi Cheng and Andy Lau star in this romantic-comedy--with a particular emphasis on romance. I noticed a couple reviewers didn't like that the film wasn't that funny. I had no problem with it and thought it didn't need to be funnier.

When I rented this film, my first thought was 'wow--a film starring Andy Lau that is NOT a martial arts epic or gritty cop film!'. This is because here in the States, most of Lau's films you see are this sort of film--such as "Internal Affairs", "House of Flying Dragons" and "Warlords". Here it is nice to see him in something lighter.

The film is set in Hong Kong and involves a nice boss (Lau) and a strange secretary (Cheng). I say strange because on one hand she's a mess. She has no confidence with men and flies off the deep when she has relationship problems. But, on the other hand, she's very loyal, highly skilled and a very important part of her office team--though she's not the sort to seek attention and often lets herself be the fall gal when there are problems. As the film progresses, Lau realizes what a find he has with Cheng--at first as a co-worker and then later...well see the film for yourself to see what's next.

Overall, this is a very sweet film--a nice date film. Nothing overly deep or significant here--just a very nice movie featuring some actors who manage to carry off the film quite well.