You Are The One 我的筍盤男友 (2020) - Hong
Reviewed by Andrew Chan (Film Critics Circle of Australia)
Patrick Kong is a hit and miss, whilst being enormously commercially successful for many years with sub-par filmmaking and cynical messages about love, dating and cheating. In the latest romantic comedy “You Are The One” is surprisingly affecting and shows a certain maturity in Kong’s development both as a screenwriter and filmmaker. The film is filled with good performances from Carlos Chan and Gladys Li (in a brilliant leading role debut) as the two unlikely lovers from very different walks of life and backgrounds. One sells fishball and the other is a CEO of a large company.
Carlos Chan plays his best role in years since “Happiness”. Chan manages to be likeable and his chemistry with Li is without doubt the reason that the film ends up touching the audience. Gladys Li games up with an affecting display as she warms to the role of an innocence and good hearted girl that can so easily become outright cheesy with the wrong actor caster. Li manages to emote at the right times and plays mostly to her strength as an underdog. The supporting act is equally fun and entertaining, with the judgemental mother played by Carrie Ng and Bob Lam throws off some much needed laughters.
All in all, in line of today’s political and pandemic crisis, the film shows a brighter side to a modern Cinderella tale. Kong manages to pull off one of the more delightful Chinese lunar new year film and provides an avenue of two rising young stars to emote, cry, grow and laugh with us all.
I rated it 8/10