Apparently, Tsui Hark liked Nicky Wu and Charlie Yeung so much in The Lovers that
he decided to make another similarly themed movie starring the two of them. Love in
the Time of Twilight shares the silliness that characterizes most of The Lovers, but
none of the drama. However, it's an enjoyable film in its own right.

Love in the Time of Twilight follows Yan Yan, who performs in a Cantonese opera
troupe with her father and many others. On Affinity Day (a match-making day) she
runs into Kong, with whom she develops an instant animosity. Two weeks later, Kong
comes back in the form of a ghost to ask her to help him prevent his own murder by
traveling back in time.

The plot only gets more bizarre as the two make multiple trips back and forth
through time in an effort to prevent Kong from being killed. Concentrating on the
multiple time travel trips and other assorted weirdness will only bring on a headache,
and anyway this aspect is immaterial to the charm of the film.

As in The Lovers, Charlie Yeung generally steals the show away from Nicky Wu, who
has the role of straight man. The two work well together and of course, no light
comedy would be complete without a romance. Any movie viewer watching this film
will know right form the beginning that Kong and Yan Yan are destined to be
together. In some ways, the plot's cliches feel almost like a homage to earlier films.
This is heightened by the setting of the film, which appears to be the 20s or 30s,
when film started to become a true mass entertainment.

I could have done without Eric Kot in this film. He lays on his usual weirdo schtick a
bit too thickly and his presence is generally distracting, especially in light of Charlie
Yeung's more gently charming screen presence. She has a wonderfully amusing way
of sticking out her tongue at someone. Though she doesn't display the acting skill
she will show in later films like Task Force, she manages to portray an interesting
character. Some of her best scenes are when she is portraying her past and future
selves simultaneously, as her future self becomes increasingly frustrated with her
past self's stubbornness.

This film represents a more mature Tsui Hark than is seen in his earlier, more
bombastic films, though Love in the Time of Twilight is subdued only in comparison
to sometihng like Peking Opera Blues. This film feels very much like a tribute to a
more innocent time, given its plot and visual style. I love the sense of breathlessness
felt throughout much of the film. It is quite easy to get caught up in the story and
characters.

This film would make for great viewing when you are feeling a bit of ennui, as its
charm, silliness, and romance are bound to bring smile to your face.