I saw this last week in a packed cinema that positively sighed when Greg Han Su ("Li Tsu-Wei") came onto the screen. A handsome youth, he and his childhood sweetheart "Huang Yuxuan" (Ko Chia-yen) fall in love and move in together. All seems idyllic until she has to go and work in Shanghai. Can they make a go of their long distance relationship? Well that doesn't really matter because somewhere along the line, we discover that a tragedy has interrupted their dream life. Something that (now I didn't quite get this bit) involved them both half way up a building under construction. Anyway, it seems that there may be redemption - a way of altering this devastating solution - and that all revolves around a tape-recording of a song. Thing is, any alternative permutations this may deliver just seem to further complicate matters. It seems that re-writing history is no simple matter! Soon friends - whom possibly haven't even met, or might meet, or did once - are drawn into this enjoyably crafted time shift mystery. You do need to concentrate on it, and some of the story does stretch the imagination just a little - but the performances from these young actors is remarkably assured and the romantic element doesn't overwhelm the quirkiness of the thing. It's not without some humour too, especially as some people take quite a bit of convincing that everyone here is not just delusional. It is well paced, and has a charm to it. Doesn't need a cinema screen - unless you are the sighing sort - but is certainly worth a watch, I'd say.
2023-01-24
