Li Xiao Jun, what are you doing, being all confused over Maggie Cheung like that?
What it's about
Coming from northern mainland China, Xiao Jun arrives in Hong Kong, clueless and unable to speak any of the languages common in the city. After the opportunistic, street smart Li Qiao helps him find his way around the city, they form a friendship that gradually becomes a romance spanning multiple years in multiple cities.
The take
There are connections we make in this lifetime that we expect to be ephemeral, especially in a new city, but sometimes these connections end up being the most meaningful relationship to us. For Jun in Comrades, Almost a Love Story, street smart Qiao is that connection. As she teaches Xiao Jun in Hong Kong city life, they both edge closer to being lovers and Hongkongers, but not quite enough to receive the title. And as fate separates them and fate (and Teresa Teng) brings them together, Comrades, Almost a Love Story crafts quite a memorable romance that stems from a shared dream of finally moving up in the world.
What stands out
The score! The music of Taiwanese pop idol Teresa Teng is incomparable, and Chiu Tsang-Hei is able to match her music with a consistently excellent score.
Comments
UP NEXT
UP NEXT
UP NEXT
More like this in
The Resurrection of Jake The Snake (2015)
The inspiring, gritty journey of how pro wrestler Jake "The Snake" Roberts turned his life around
8.0
The Guilty (2018)
A minimalist, razor-sharp thriller that will have you gasping for air.
9.0
Lust, Caution (2007)
A wartime spy falls for a collaborator in this erotic espionage drama
7.3
The Farewell (2019)
Awkwafina shines in this complex culture clash comedy.
9.1
The Half of It (2020)
An atmospheric romance that starts with “this is not a love story"
7.3
Hello, Love, Goodbye (2019)
A blockbuster portrait of love overseas
7.0
A Brighter Summer Day (1991)
A rich, melancholy tale of 1960s youth in Taiwan
9.0
Kaili Blues (2015)
A hypnotic piece of slow cinema that disintegrates the boundaries between past and present
8.0
Biutiful (2010)
7.7
Miss Shampoo (2023)
Mobster drama meets quirky romance in this unique, though uneven, Taiwanese comedy