Comrades, Almost a Love Story

An all time favourite of mine starring Maggie Cheung and Leon Lai, also known as "Tien Mi Mi".

My favourite scenes in the movie are when Maggie Cheung tried to block Leon Lai's view of her PIN number at the ATM and when the camera zoomed in to show a Mickey Mouse tattoo on Eric Tsang's back.
Also, there were the unforgettable scenes of the lovers when they first met at McDonalds, when Leon Lai offered to give Maggie a ride home in his bicycle (I love the way she swung her legs in such wild abandonment), when they shared a pathetic piece of melted chocolate and when he buttoned up her coat for her with trembling fingers before they finally kissed on that fateful new year's eve.

Both the main characters are so natural in their acting, Leon Lai looking the typical innocent goody two shoes and Maggie in her characterisation of an ambitious hardworking clever woman. I cannot think of many screen-lovers exuding such powerful chemistry.

Though the movie is remembered most fondly for its sweet romantic moments, its heart-tugging scenes left me with no less an impact. I can still remember the sudden drop of my heart when Maggie left Hong Kong by boat, painfully recognising that love no matter how strong still had to give way to loyalty sometimes. And I remember weeping silently when Maggie went to identify the body of Eric Tsang after he was shot dead in the streets of New York, more specifically when she sobbed uncontrollably at the sight of the tattoo confirming her worst fears.

Oh! And I simply love how the director slots in that last scene providing the missing link to the first scene, finally showing us the whole picture of Leon Lai nodding off back to back with Maggie Cheong in the train upon their first arrival in Hong Kong. Goes to show how fate can sometimes lurks in the most unexpected of places!

My verdict: 10/10. Perfect plot, perfect actors, perfect cinematography, perfect script and perfect soundtrack!

I wish they made more movies like that but I have yet to watch another chinese movie that can match this 1997 hit.