If you are the one
I am wondering if it would be easier to write about a chinese love comedy, especially when I do not feel like promoting it. Don’t misunderstand, I have thoroughly enjoyed the film although it uses some silly, overly kitsch background music and obviously would never make it outside of China, because it copies Hollywood way too well and is way too full with Beijing dialect jokes.
This is actually one of the main appeals of Chinese love comedies: Their “chineseness”. Just like “The Host” seems incredibly Korean to me, Chinese people love their comedies and they feel especially close to those jokes that mirror their society. “If you are the one” is actually a brilliant example of this, it’s indescribable.
What is comparably easy to describe, however, is the great acting of the main protagonists. The ugly, bald guy is Ge You, perhaps one of my favorite Chinese actors if not the favorite and the girl is played by formally soft-porn-movie star Shu Qi. Although she’s not exactly my type, I must admit that her acting is top-notch and I think she comes off much more natural and believable than most other Chinese actresses despite her rather young age.
In China, the film apparently has exceeded everybody’s expectations and was the most popular film last year or something like that. It’s unusual for a Chinese movie to be able to stand against the concurrence of Hollywood, and with this movie, I actually can see why: Surely Hollywood has become weaker too (now that Lord of the Rings is over and The Dark Knight apparently didn’t cater to Chinese tastes as much), but this film has everything: Witty dialogue, a funny yet emotional story and a brilliant cast.
It’s so cute how he fell in love with her because he felt he was one of these rare women who are serious about a reltionship. I think a lot of people see themselves in the idealistic way the main characters are struggling for love. Maybe that is wishful thinking, but it surely is attractive to a lot of people.
For me, it was quite an experience to see one of these so very Chinese movies without too much depth again. While I thought it was quite silly at times, I actually also enjoyed it a lot and ever since the Berlinale, I would value enjoyment higher than the meaningful in a heartbeat. Maybe “If you are the one” is not necessarily the artistically greatest film and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone but those who master the Chinese language, but I surely had a lot of fun watching this yesterday.