Goo nam gwa lui

A must see for fans of Andy Lau this is a light-hearted romantic treat with Sammi Cheung lighting up the scenes with her girl-next-door looks and coquettish smile. There are several moments in the film that could have been smoother (the entire "kidnapping" is a bit overbearing and Kinki's family acts as if they're in the wrong movie) but there's plenty of whimsical fun and childlike nuttiness that will have you rooting for these two well before the two hours run out.

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.

Hong Kong seems to love Sammi Cheng in whiny, helpless roles, as evident by her slew of Hong Kong Film Awards acting nominations - for this movie, Love on a Diet (both with Andy Lau), and Fighting for Love (with Tony Leung). While I looked past her annoying character in Love on a Diet because I found its weight-loss theme inspirational, both this movie and Fighting for Love - typical romantic comedies - are merely tolerable, good for a couple of chuckles. Though I understand Sammi's acting range isn't that wide, it's a pity that the Queen of Cantopop is perpetually relegated to such grating cheeseball roles. 6/10

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...

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.