介绍:
An unmatched couple is perhaps humanity’s longest-living fairy tale. By unmatched I mean a rich, good looking wife and a poor homely husband. This type of combination certainly was rare in the age of arranged marriage, but even in our time, the 21st century, we can still find few examples. Personally I’ve seen none, except for those written in fictions or faked on screen.
Taiwan romantic drama film “Say Yes” is the latest addition to the on-screen make-believe. In the movie, Huang Bo plays an unlucky construction worker who’s failed 99 blind dates, his hundredth belle is a beautiful musician, played by Taiwan model and actress Lin Chi-ling. The story begins with both characters living starkly different lives, but in roughly 100 minutes, they will hold each other’s hand and attempt their first kiss.
It is the simplest of stories. First of all, there is a comparison of the couple’s appearance, financial status and social connections to imply that their relationship is nearly impossible. What follows is how they overcome the differences and turn the impossible into possible. Right after that there is twist, which everyone knows the couple will eventually get over. And finally it is the happy ending.
However the movie is not as simple. At first a split screen demonstrates how the couple begin their regular, but different lives, up to the point of their first encounter where the spilt screens merge. Later on, equally ingenious cinematography and editing create a warm and colorful tone, quite fitting to the romantic theme. Plus, the pacing of the story is better than most Chinese films, so moviegoers would barely notice the want of story and originality.
Meanwhile, such a story inevitably involves humor, and the actors haven’t failed to deliver that. Lead actor Huang Bo always seems to have a lucid understanding about his roles and very natural in presenting them, in this piece he is once again at the center of quite a few chuckles and laughters. However, he’s only played a fixed range of characters so far, I remain curious to see how he would handle serious challenges.
Lead actress Lin Chi-ling was supposed to be there only for her looks, and the movie was supposed to be a motion photo album of hers. While the latter half is proven by the number of her outfits in the movie, she certainly contributed more than just her looks. Let’s say she didn’t wreck the film with all the posturing and probably did better than actress Shu Qi in “Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons”. What more can you expect from a model slash actress?
Lack of originality is the curse of Chinese films, “Say Yes” is no exemption from the cursed, but it certainly is a decent romantic comedy. I think it deserves a six out of ten.
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