Chow Yun-Fat is best known to western audiences for his roles in gangster films, where the image of him cooly operating dual handguns is one of the more recognizable in all of cinema. But Chow is actually one of Asia's most well-rounded actors, and made his mark with local audiences via his appearances in several romantic movies, with Love in a Fallen City being one of the best of the bunch. It's the sort of romantic film that even disgruntled and cynical guys should be able to enjoy without having to reach for a cold beer, several aspirin, and/or the fast-forward button.

Taking place in 1941, Love in a Fallen City centers on Pai (Cora Miao), a young woman who has been ostracized by her family for divorcing her rich husband. A local match-maker, Mrs. Hsu (Helen Ma), takes pity on Pai and decides to bring her to Hong Kong, under the guise of employing her as the Hsu's nanny, but in reality to introduce her to Fan (Chow Yun-Fat). Pai and Fan seem to hit it off, but Fan's refusal to marry Pai soon sours things. However, as the Japanese begin to invade Hong Kong, the two begin to realize their true feelings for each other.

Unlike many Hong Kong romantic films of the time, there is a refreshing lack of melodrama, even though some of the events in the film could have easily set up that style of acting. Pai's family treats her like the unwanted step-daughter in Cinderella, going as far as to refer to her simply as "sixth sister". Bucking the usual trend, Pai doesn't end up running through the rain in slow motion while a sad Cantopop ballad plays. Director Ann Hui allows Cora Miao (and all of the other characters in the movie) to develop naturally, which makes them much easier to digest for the viewer, and keeps them interested in their fates.

And one must also take note of how goddamn cool Chow Yun-Fat is in this. Even though he's playing a bit of a cad, he still comes off as extremely likeable, and you can really see why Pai eventually falls in love with him. This, of course, should really be no surprise to anyone familiar with the wider range of his work, but for those wanting to check out the "softer" side of Chow have a perfect vehicle in this. Even if dramas or "weepies" aren't normally your thing, Love in a Fallen City is still worth your time. It's a finely-crafted romantic film that shows that Hong Kong film-makers are well-capable of producing things other than dual-fisted bloodbaths, toilet jokes, or flying fisticuffs.

[review from www.hkfilm.net]