Action Member: Adam Chan

Social realist cinema can be the most edifying and informative genre the medium can offer, but Ho Yu-Hang’s style is such that the only sensation to get from the screen is mild hyperthermia.

There is no doubt that this quirky and engrossing production has its faults; not all of the loose ends are successfully tied up and those that are seem to work out a little too neatly.

Full of humanity and interest, it remarkably manages to takes three or four strong sub-plots and amalgamate them together without letting any of them suffer.

Taking a well-trod tale of unrequited love and combining efforts with current hot property Miriam Yeung, Yip imbues proceedings with an infectious air.

It may be relatively incident free and not as prestigious as many of its contemporaries, yet this is still a film that earns mild commendation.

‘Juliet In Love’ could be well-described as an economic and perhaps minimal love story; there are no grand gestures or over-the-top histrionics.

If you approach a film of this nature, with this cast, with this storyline and with this lack of imagination, there is very little sympathy you (or indeed I) should expect.

For anyone who wants something a bit different from Hong Kong’s blockbusters, this may be a worthwhile purchase. Be warned, though, that ‘Osaka Wrestling Restaurant’ is not going to be to everyone’s taste.

I did notice my skin peeling off as the film neared its conclusion, though on closer inspection this seems to have been what doctors call ‘The Chapman To effect’.