In fact, this is a lighthearted and romantic love sketch that has nothing to do with the political situation. In the splendid night of Hong Kong, the male and female protagonists who are both Americans meet twice a year, walk & talk, chat while walking, drink good wine and eat food, and pass by countless Hong Kong landmarks and beautiful scenery in a relaxed and comfortable way. Just walking and going in secrecy.
The English name of the film is Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong, with pure English dialogue, produced in 2015 and released in 2016. After the painting, the reviews were well received. The Hong Kong translation of the title "Fate to Say Goodbye" is a bit of a spoiler.
The director is Emily Ting, who moved to the United States after she was born in Taipei. The screenwriter is also written by her, based on her real experience during her 5-year stay in Hong Kong.
The form of the film is very similar to the classic "Trilogy of Love" by Richard Linklater. Since the male and female protagonists are in the same frame, the walk & talk mode is turned on. The two walk and talk all the way. The plot is completely driven by dialogue, but it is not boring. 95% of movies with a duration of less than 80 minutes are scenes of dialogue between two people. Urban men and women are faced with sudden feelings, desire, temptation, tension, flattery, joy, entanglement, struggle, restraint... The dialogue is presented just right one by one.
Love still has to be talked
about. People who are in love often use this word to describe their beautiful state and talk about everything. Observing the couple who lived well in those days, smooth and effective communication is a must. What really kills you is not talking too much, not quarreling, or having nothing to talk about, or not wanting to talk to you.
From the beginning of contact between the two people to the good impression of each other, I am willing to listen to what you say, and I am willing to respond after listening, but I can't wait to respond more. In the back and forth of the language, understanding and trust are established, and goodwill and infatuation are enhanced. In which era and time and space, this is what love should be like.
Teacher Ding Yizhen set up special interesting and contrasting identities for the male and female protagonists. The male protagonist is a handsome man from New York who has lived and worked in Hong Kong for more than ten years. His ideal is to write novels, speak Cantonese, and love Hong Kong food stalls; the female protagonist is an American from Hong Kong, and her parents immigrated to Los Angeles. , refused to eat "chicken feet", the whole Westernization.
The male protagonist met the lost female protagonist for the first time, and volunteered to lead the way. The two started chatting from simple weather work and hobbies, and gradually moved to family and life background. At the destination, the heroine suddenly wanted to go to the bar, but before she finished drinking, she broke up unhappily because of a little "little concealment" in the chat of the hero.
A year later, the male protagonist bid farewell to his status as a financial talent, pursued literature, and changed his formal attire into casual clothes. The female protagonist met again on the Star Ferry. The two continue to walk & talk, go shopping, drink, eat, go shopping... The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, and the topics are more extensive and in-depth, life experience and growth, career and dreams, love and marriage, East and West, identity differences and cultural identity. Mr. Ding Yizhen wrote the dialogue in a real and sensible way, full of interest in life. The two leading actors are relaxed and confident in front of the camera, which adds a lot to this dialogue journey. According to Hong Kong media, the male protagonist Bryan Greenberg and the female protagonist Jamie Chung are already a couple in real life.
In love, you still have to roll the road.
You can't just treat a guest to dinner, watch a movie, go to the store, roll the sheets, and roll the road. You can see that the other person will not be out of breath after walking two kilometers. This is a basic good body, and it can also make Subtle feelings are fermented and magnified in the air of this city. For example, the boy's heart is like a deer, thinking "When will you take her hand, it will not be abrupt and reckless", the girl's heart is trembling, and she said in her heart, "If you don't hold my mother's hand again, my aunt will go home." When your fingers are intertwined, it is far more romantic than in a restaurant theater.
Of course, if you live in a city suitable for walking, with a mild climate, beautiful scenery, mountains and seas, ups and downs, well-designed pedestrian paths, high-end hotels and restaurants, convenience stores everywhere, and With developed and humanized public facilities, there is simply no choice for those who fall in love. Hong Kong is such a city.
Teacher Ding Yizhen knows this. She abandoned the day scene of Hong Kong, and arranged the two encounters of the male and female protagonists in the night. As the two stop and go, the night scene of Hong Kong is full of splendor and magnificence.
The first time the male and female protagonists met, they walked through Sheung Wan Soho District, Central, Mid-Levels Escalator, Bank of China Building, HSBC Building, Lan Kwai Fong; the second time they met, they passed through Central Pier, Avenue of Stars, Victoria Harbour, Chungking Mansions, Temple Street , Jordan Road; the two have taken the Star Ferry, double-decker buses, red taxis, and there are also ding ding cars in the background when walking... This can almost be seen as a Hong Kong scenery promotional video. However, the presentation of these elements is natural and smooth, not deliberate.
As a post-70s generation who is deeply influenced by Hong Kong's popular culture and has been to Hong Kong many times, seeing these landmark buildings and public facilities that have become cultural symbols, I feel familiar and friendly, as if I have roamed Hong Kong again.
After a walk & talk with endless spring dreams and no traces, where will the love of the hero and heroine go? The director gave an open ending, and the answer was given to the audience. The good news is that the director has seriously considered the creation of a sequel due to the well-received work. I am very much looking forward to it.
I also read the reports of the Hong Kong media, because a lot of shooting was done outdoors, and the shooting of several scenes was caused by triads. "The producer needs to come forward to negotiate and pay the protection fee to continue shooting. Such a scum is a shame for Hong Kong." It's a tidbit.
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