Lovely music resonates beyond clichés
Alvina Yeh, staff writer
Feb. 15, 2006

Synopsis
In this musical movie-within-a-movie, Lin Jian Tung (Takeshi Kaneshiro) and Sun Na (Xun Zhou) play two romantic leads in a movie caught in a love triangle with the director Nie Wen (Jacky Cheung).

Review
"Perhaps Love" will satisfy those who can overlook some flaws in this visually and musically appealing film.

As a long-time fan of both musicals and Chinese movies, I was intrigued by the premise of the movie, “Perhaps Love.” Most mainstream Chinese music is either slow love ballads or shallow pop music. The choreography in many Chinese music videos looks like it’s done by a rejected boy-band member. I was left to wonder, “Could a Chinese movie pull off a musical without killing the genre?”

Takeshi Kaneshiro in "Perhaps Love"

“Perhaps Love” starts off with a lot of pizzazz, almost too much – the first 30 minutes of the movie is very confusing. The beginning is reminiscent of “Moulin Rouge” with its showy and eye-catching musical numbers. The cinematography is very rich and beautiful; every scene was clearly meticulously put together.

But can they sing and dance? After all, that’s what a musical is all about. Fans of Jacky Cheung ("Once Upon a Time in China") will not be disappointed; even in his later years his performance reminds why he has remained one the Chinese “kings of pop” for so long. Takeshi Kaneshiro ("Returner") and Xun Zhou ("The Emperor and the Assassin") also sing decently well, although it’s nothing compared to Cheung. The music is very catchy, the slow songs are not too sappy and the fast songs are fun.

None of the main actors actually do much dancing as it’s all left to the dozens of backup dancers. Some of the choreography is a bit stiff and cheesy, but it doesn’t detract too much from the numbers.

Ji Jin-Hee in "Perhaps Love"

The plot and character developments are where the movie stumbles. The scenes constantly switch from the present to flashbacks to scenes from their movie and then back again. It’s hard to keep track of what’s part of their movie and what’s part of their past. Some movies may be able to use this technique without confusing the audience but “Perhaps Love” is not one of them.

My other complaint is that there are no emotional attachments to the characters. With Lin Jian Tung as the anguished, scorned lover, Sun Na as the selfish lover caught in the middle and Nie Wen as the possessive boyfriend it becomes all too clichéd as a typical love triangle. As a spectator, I want to see personal growth in the characters, but it doesn’t really happen. As a side note: Tung’s tendency to brood and swim fully-clothed gets annoying very fast.

Based on the novelty of being a Chinese musical, it’s worth a watch or two. I like the soundtrack so much that I’ve been playing the movie in the background while I work on my computer. Common to many Chinese movies, ”Perhaps Love” will make the audience assume a lot of the plot as well as read between the lines to understand the ending. Those looking for a clear-cut plot with a clear-cut resolution should steer clear, otherwise it’s an enjoyable musical beyond the clichés.

Alvina gives "Perhaps Love":

Alvina Yeh is a staff writer for asiaXpress.com. You can reach Alvina at alvina.yeh@asiaxpress.com.

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