Love does the whole intertwining narrative thing, with four pairs of couples with various problems, entanglements and neuroses, who manage to overcome their adversities thanks to a certain emotion. No, you don`t get a prize for guessing which. The subplots range from a love triangle between a rich girl (Amber Kuo) her best friend (Chen Yi-Han) and her boyfriend (Peng Yu-yan), and a love-hate relationship between a real estate agent/single mom (Vicki Zhao) and a jaded businessman (Mark Chao).
While cliche on paper, the stellar chemistry between the cast manages to suffuse the proceedings with both humour and heartfelt emotion. Honourable mention undoubtedly goes out to Doze Niu, who shows off his thespian chops as a wealthy but lonely businessman, in love with a seemingly materialistic girlfriend (Shu Qi).
Given the film`s genre, an obligatory happy ending makes the film`s trajectory predictable. Thankfully though, Love is saved by a good looking cast, a witty script, and a surprising commitment not to stray too far into the realm of melodrama, despite numerous flirtations with sentimentality. Despite the numerous plotlines, the characters come across as three-dimensional and highly sympathetic, if not completely fleshed out in certain cases.
What we appreciated the most about the movie, however, was director Doze Niu`s central message that love is multifaceted, encapsulating familial and platonic bonds as well as all that conventional mushy stuff. While we wouldn`t call the film thoughtful or realistic by any measure, Doze`s artful injection of humour throughout the film keeps this thematic concern light-hearted, and yet touching at the same time.
If you`re the jaded-single-on-Valentine`s-Day type, our advice is to stay away from Love, which is so optimistic it may make you want to run a hot bath and sharpen some razors. For the idealistic and the blissfully attached, however, Love is a well-crafted, heart-warming doozy of a holiday movie.
Summary: The best asian romance film we`ve seen in a long while
Rating: 3.5/5
Fall in Love on 10 February 2012