MovieChat Forums > Tian mi mi (1996) Discussion > Great movie!

Great movie!

posted 20 years ago by foregone_conclusion
9 replies | jump to latest

There's nothing incredibly original in this film's love story. Typical conflicts arise to two basically good natured people. However, the acting in this movie is pretty outstanding. Maggie Cheung may seem a little one dimensional here, but it's believable. And Leon Lai is pretty charming as a boater (FOB).

This is the type of movie I normally wouldn't recommend (formulaic, one dimensional characters, intentionally pulls at you heart strings, etc...), but I really enjoyed this film.

One extra note, you get to see Christopher Doyle play the part of an English teacher in this movie. He is probably the most prolific cinematographer in Hong Kong cinema (Edward Yang, Wong Kar Wai, Stan Lai, Chen Kaige, Zhang Yimou, as well as Phillip Noyce).

Excuse me, stewardess. I speak jive.

[–] gingko 19 years ago

Agree!This is a very touching,beautiful, realistic, dark, funny and sad movie which captures love, value, friendship, class, racism,politic and many other big topics and yet beautifully made in very details.
The sadness and fate of the characters are bitter romantic and sharply chilling. The cast of Maggie was remarkble!!! So real without a trace. Her eyes tells a hundred emtions in a glance!

The centural keyline of Deng Lijun's songs add extra sparks and perfect for awaking the memories in that decade!

I like "In the mood for love"too. But this one is certainly timeless!

[–] Private_Beach 19 years ago

Far from being charming, leon Lai is as wooden here as he is in just about every film he's made. Although Maggie Cheung is radiantly appealing as usual, the relationship never quite comes to life. Still, it's a cut above the average Hong Kong film, not least because it shows signs of having spent some time and care on the script. I enjoyed it, but with a more inspiring male lead, it could have been better.

[–] bekkeh_18 16 years ago

I think Leon was wonderful in this movie!!! He's perfect for this naive, trusting boyish role. When he held the umbrella in the rain waiting for Maggie to come back, I definitely cried. Just the look on his face is absolutely heartbreaking! I loved him. I really think he is perfect for this role.

[–] tszch 18 years ago

I LOVE this movie. It's one of my favorites. True, it's not incredibly original but it's so well done. I cry everytime I watch it. And it captures the era so perfectly (right before HK returns to China). Underrated and overlooked. Can't wait to see Perhaps Love (Peter Chan's new film).

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] gattocinese 17 years ago

Maggie was great.

Leon is usually wooden (especially Infernal Affairs III), but here he did an excellent job. Maybe Maggie brought his level up. He felt like a mainlander. At times he was optimistic, at times he was in pain.

There's that scene at Maggie's real estate reception where she tells him that her mother died. He says nothing, but his reaction is genuine - not overacted, not too understated. It felt like a very Chinese reaction, yet very appropriate to his complex character. And Leon is good looking.

I'm a big fan of Eric's from Infernal Affairs I and II. He wasn't bad here. But the movie was a 2 person play.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] bekkeh_18 16 years ago

The New York part where Eric's character dies made me racist for a sec, lol! I think it's just because you want soooo much for things to go well for these people because they portray these characters so perfectly that you feel for them in every way. It's so moving!

[–] 16 years ago

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