Shanghai Calling

I watched this on the plane returning to California from Shanghai and it was spot on right about the "expats" (who never think of themselves as carpetbaggers or immigrants). I was in Shanghai to teach an MBA course on business ethics and this film sent exactly the right message on that very topic. Instead of going to a new country to skim the cream in whatever unscrupulous way one can get away with, why not try being a model for others on how to succeed by doing the right thing.

I thought Shanghai's Bund itself was the star of the show, and rightly so, and the leads are both rising stars to watch. The editing could have had less abrupt resolutions, though. A bit too pat for Sam to meet a philosophical Chinese guy in a (brazen advert) Costa Coffee who leads him to enlightenment in a coffee bean.

However, the comedic moments are genuinely hilarious!

Fun, unpretentious and cute to watch, I already want a cell phone like that ... And Daniel Henney is beautiful .... s2 ... Very nice to watch...

Full of wit and a distant cousin to Marc Webb's (500) Days of Summer, Daniel Hsia's feature debut Shanghai Calling is a hilarious and steady picture featuring an outstanding breakout performance by Daniel Henney. A romantic comedy that often falls victim to American stereotypes that we've grown to see over the years of cinema however, it's delightful to see those things outside of a New York backdrop or mundane college town. Telling the story of a New York attorney Sam (Henney) who is sent to Shanghai, China on business, but when a shady deal threatens his career, Sam, with the help of his relocation specialist Amanda (Eliza Coupe) and others, he grows an admiration of his new surroundings.

Hsia's stylistic tendencies are impressive and while he resembles certain directorial choices from the likes of Chris Weitz, Marc Webb, even Sofia Coppola among others, he doesn't allow himself or his film to be taken too serious. Its loads of fun, well-written, and shows a potential promising career that could eventually elevate to smarter, more daring cinematic themes; Hsia's film is a great introduction into his future arsenal. There aren't the pros without the cons sadly. His pacing and editing are well put together, but Hsia's story treads too close to sappy rom-coms that will annoy the boyfriends of many ladies around the world.

As the charismatic and incredibly funny Sam, Daniel Henney, probably well-known for his role as Agent Zero in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), delivers the first great comedic performance of 2013. Involved and dedicated, Henney takes an A-typical "schmuck guy" role and elevates it to raw magnetism that stands as the actor's finest. The film succeeds purely on his talents as he wiggles his way right into your heart. Dare I say this early, Golden Globe consideration? Though highly improbable. The score by Klaus Badelt & Christopher Carmichael is also pretty sensational as it brings a wonderful accompaniment to some key scenes.

As the cute, spunky love interest, Eliza Coupe (ABC's "Happy Endings") does the best with the tools she's given. A single mom running from American life in a predictable and underwritten role isn't the most inventive or effective manners to showcase your talents. Coupe is still worth watching. The great Bill Paxton is as underutilized as ever, bringing an unappealing perversion to an American mayor that further builds the projection that all Americans suck. Keep your eyes on Sean Gallagher, who's forced, yet effective role as Brad, is an added joy full of laughs.

Easy to foresee and even too cliché for its own good at times, Shanghai Calling is pure enjoyment and something that may surprise even more skillful cinematic minds.

The film is now playing in select cities.

I like this movie. I don't love it, I don't hate, I don't regret watching it, but I don't really remember it until I watch it the next time. That's the best I can tell you, and I think that's unfortunate because with the stars in the movie, the location, the cinematography, and the score, it should have been so much more. But it's slightly above average and that's frustrating.

First off, the story is the movie's biggest fault. There's just so little stakes-- nobody is living or dying. It's just very inconvenient for all those involved. It draaaagggs the movie down so much because every time we are taken away from a character moment or a comedic scene to focus on the plot, the movie gets boring. Secondly, the movie foremost wants to be a travelogue that will get you to movie to Shanghai. Since it doesn't accomplish the first thing very well, it doesn't accomplish the second thing very well either. If they had just tried to tell a compelling story instead of forcefully hinting at the charm of Shanghai, maybe it would have been more effective.

So, why did I like it then? Everything else is pretty stellar. The comedy writing is great. There's a lot of lines ("DOES ANYBODY HERE UNDERSTAND THIS GUY?") that are funny and a lot of character interactions ("Pretty Chinese girl!") that land very well. Like I said, the cinematography is nice. Shanghai is beautiful and the landscape photography really makes it pop. THE ACTORS. Daniel Henney is so charming and likable even when he is doing bad, unethical things. Eliza and Zhu Zhu are great as the "love interests" and bring a lot out of the secondary characters. Bill Paxton is a step down from his best films, but he has some general charm too.

Whenever we're given a moment to sit with the characters, the movie lands. It's just a shame that the story is so subpar. I heard through the grapevine that the movie was at one time considered as TV show, and I think that would have been a way better option since having a compelling narrative would not be as important. Instead, it kinda just serves as a nice DVD that sits on my shelf for whenever some friends come over, and we don't wanna go out.

An amazing movie beautifully directed and even more effectively presented by all the actors. The story is in itself groundbreaking and plus the way of representing the story added more to the movie. A great for one time watch. A worth watching one for sure. You will not be disappointed.