Movie Review: Comrades: Almost a Love Story (Tian mi mi) (1996)

I was very excited to watch Comrades: Almost a Love Story because I heard only good things of it, plus I'm a fan of Maggie Cheung... It is not one of the worst films I've seen, however it is not particularly good... for some reasons, I was unable to enjoy this movie but I'm sure it will appeal to many people!

The film opens with a Chinese mainlander, Li Xiaojun (Leon Lai) arriving in Hong Kong to make money and marry his fiancee Xiao Ting (Kristy Yang), from back his hometown. He starts working at delivering chickens for a butcher in his bicycle. He gets to know a girl named Chiao (Maggie Cheung) who works multiple jobs and chooses making money over friends, she is also a mainlander and convinces him to take English classes claiming it will make getting jobs in Hong Kong easier.
 

They start a friendship that becomes a love affair, but still labeling themselves as just friends. However, they part ways because they have too different goals in life. Three years later, Chiao, who is now with a triad boss named Pao (Eric Tsang), attend Xiaojun and Xiao Ting's wedding. Both, Chiao and Xiaojun were seemingly happy with their lives until this encounter that brings feelings of uncertainty about their life choices, such as regretting having split 3 years ago.

Comrades: Almost a Love Story started good and fun only to become a story I've seen too many times: full of cliches and it felt forced. I was unable to enjoy it after the couple's second split. The events that followed are already overused in this type of stories and there are other certain things* that makes me question the movie's quality.

Despite its flaws, there are good points too. Even if it is a romance movie, Peter Chan also explores real-life struggles like making ends meet, coping with economic crisis, and the fact that things are not as easy as dumping your current partner just because you re-encountered and old lover. Maggie Cheung's performance was great, so if you're a fan, you should check it out. 

If you like "made for each other but for some reasons can't be together" destiny love stories, this is a perfect movie for you! 

***The "certain things" that bothered me - SPOILERS ALERT!!!***

• The way Pao died... killed by foreigners that, by the way, are not portrayed in a good light in Comrades.

• The coincidences went overboard... not very creative. The movie would've been better without the last scene.

• Also, this movie doesn't make you really root for Chiao (Maggie) to end up with Xiaojun (Leon) at all, after the second half Pao (Eric) becomes nicer and more likable than him.

TRAILER: (Odd. I couldn't find a trailer for this movie, I watched a couple of fanmade videos and this is the best one I found...)

MY RATING:

 

Director: Peter Chan | Writer: Ivy Ho | 1996 | Genre: drama, romance | Country: Hong Kong