Beijing Love Story
Chen Sicheng
The story: Five interconnected stories about love unfold, mostly in modern-day Beijing. Chen Feng (Chen Sicheng) falls in love with Shen Yan (Tong Liya) the moment he sets eyes on her. Chen’s boss Wu Zheng (Wang Xuebing) is a philanderer with a long-suffering wife Zhang Lei (Yu Nan). She finds out and then meets up with Liu Hui (Tony Leung Ka Fai). Liu is later seen seemingly on a rendezvous with Jialing (Carina Lau) in Greece. Liu objects to his teenaged daughter Xingyang (Ouyang Nana) taking part in a talent show on television but Song Ge (Liu Haoran), who has a crush on her, has a plan to make that happen. Finally, Song’s grandfather Wang Daqi (Wang Qingxiang) is being set up on blind dates by Gao Lu (Siqin Gaowa). Wang seems to hit it off with Xie Aijia (Elaine Jin), who gets upset when she finds out who Gao really is.

One of these things is not like the others, goes the chant from the children’s programme Sesame Street. And in this case, the odd one out is the segment featuring Hong Kong-based stars Leung and Lau.
Given that it takes place on a Greek island, it does not even fit into the theme spelt out in the title. It also happens to be the weakest tale of the lot as Leung and Lau bicker and banter through a lacklustre game of truth-or-dare.
Apart from this glaring mis-step, the rest of the vignettes offer some interesting snapshots of the different stages of relationships in the metropolis that is Beijing today.
It is a decent effort from writer-director-actor Chen Sicheng, who had also written and directed the 2012 television series of the same name. The film is not a continuation of the series though and features a new story and characters.
Chen and Shen, played by real-life couple Chen Sicheng and Tong Liya, who met on the TV show of the same name, fall in love impetuously but the economic realities of getting married in the bustling city soon press in on them. Shen’s mother is disdainful of the fact that he lives in a cramped apartment and, meanwhile, Shen’s well-off ex makes her an indecent proposal.
The housing pressures faced by the young couple will probably strike a chord with viewers here as well.
The segment with Chen’s Lothario boss strikes a more cynical note. He makes this observation at one point: “Love is like a ghost, everyone’s heard of it but no one’s seen it.”
In contrast, the puppy love episode with Song and Xingyang is mostly sweet, with a sprinkling of poignant bitterness, as she will be leaving China soon to study abroad.
From young infatuation, the film jumps to love and companionship in one’s golden years.
Helmed by an award-winning trio of veterans – Wang Qingxiang, Siqin Gaowa and Elaine Jin – this is probably the strongest and most touching segment.
The actors find the notes of comedy, tenderness and tragedy in this senior citizen triangle and play them with grace.
(ST)