This splendid little movie is a surprise given its inclusion in the hackneyed 90’s romance genre that's sprung from the success of last year's Feel 100%. The plot is set up thusly: three friends (Andy Hui, Wallace Chung, and Jan Lam) begin a contest to find Karen (Shum Yuk-Mei), a particular girl they all like. The limits: one month, and no advertising or radio. The prize: the losers withdraw and the winner gets free reign to woo her.

All three of our protagonists go about their quest in different ways. Andy Hui enlists the aid of a policewoman (Shu Qi), who’s mooning over her ex-boyfriend Shing (Wan Yeung-Ming), a tough triad. Wallace Chung meets a free-spirited street girl (Theresa Lee), who becomes his unlikely object of affection. Jan Lam consults an oracle that tells him to meet his intended on a bus. Instead of finding Karen, he befriends the bus driver (Christine Ng), who’s in the midst of a domestic crisis. Slowly all three friends discover what you expect they will: that maybe the one next to them is better than the one they all supposedly want.

While the set-up for this film is paper-thin, director-writer Riley Yip manages to craft an extremely entertaining and even touching little movie out of it. The beauty of this film is found in the well-drawn characters and the exacting attention to the minutiae that make up the serendipity and longing of love. There is a real sense of feeling to the trials of the characters, and a breeziness and free spirit that recalls Wong Kar-Wai’s Chungking Express. The actors range from passable to amazing, with Shu Qi running off with the acting award for her lovely, understated work. The script and direction are excellent, as are Jingle Ma’s cinematography and the eclectic music. This could be the best Feel 100% movie ever. (Kozo 1997)

image courtesy of Mei Ah Laser Disc Co., Ltd.