Reviewed by: Hyomil Date: 04/07/2011 Reviewer Score: 6

Reviewed by: STSH Date: 10/30/2010 Reviewer Score: 7

Reviewed by: j.crawford Date: 06/13/2006 Talented filmmaker Johnnie To Kei-Fung shares directing chores with his long time producer Wai Ka-Fai to make a so-so romantic comedy starring Andy Lau Tak-Wah and Sammi Cheng Sau-Man. This film marks a departure for Mr. To from the material he spent the previous few years using to build his international reputation. After this pairing, these two men go on to co-direct several more projects together. The screenplay by Wai Ka-Fai and Yau Nai-Hoi tries to make comedy around the dualities of mankind that present themselves in the new business society of the post-Handover era. Yawn. Meanwhile, Mr. Lau and Ms. Cheng provide the romance through the natural screen chemistry they are lucky enough to share. Reviewer Score: 6

Reviewed by: ewaffle Date: 10/16/2005 Kinki Kwok is a flighty but very competent clerical worker who works in the Hong Kong sales office of a large chip manufacturing company. She comes to work early, stays late and is always willing to take on extra work from other employees. Her personal life is a mess; she always catches her boyfriends with other women—four so far—and compulsively cleans whatever is handy when depressed or unhappy. The movie starts with her locked in the women’s rest room cleaning the toilets. Kinki is winningly played by Sammi Cheung. She is the center “Needing You”—her failed relationships, her somewhat nutty family, her work habits and her love for motorcycles are what drive the plot. Sammi Cheung hits all the right notes, is physically right for the role and has good comic timing. As directed by the talented Johnny To, this movie is as light and sweet as spun sugar candy. It is an insubstantial creation that works well on its chosen level. The audience is never challenged—it can only end in one way, with Kinki and Andy Cheung (competently done by Andy Lau) her beleaguered boss, in a clinch. While magical realism is primarily a South American literary movement, a lot of its characteristics appear in “Needing You”. Magical realism tries to show that opposite states of being can unite. The paradox of the union is what supplies much of the energy in the work. The first scene of the movie is of Kinki praying in a cemetery, creating a talisman of love that will cause the man of her dreams to not only find her but also tell her “I need you”. This charm becomes the central image of the film, bringing Andy and Kinki together even though they aren’t aware of its power. The paradox of opposites is in the dynamism of the ancient Chinese artifact, updated but still powerful in today’s world of intellectual piracy, high-tech motorcycles and zillionaire web portal developers. It doesn’t always work as intended—antique magic combined with the modern world can have startling results, but a white clad motorcycle rider appears just when Andy desperately needs a ride to the docks and the message it contains is what brings Kinki back from the yacht. “Needing You” could be shorter—Kinki’s nutty, greedy family was a sidelight that just slowed things down and the developing romance between Andy and Kinki took a few scenes too many to develop. But that is merely quibbling. There are a number of excellent scenes—the dinner with Mr. Ko after Andy saves the account, in which he valiantly eats all the very strange food, such as turtle head, so that the weak stomached Kinki doesn’t have to is just one. Another, also centered around eating is when Kinki freaks out when Andy eats a steamed bulls penis and dumps her purse, with the love charm, on the floor of the restaurant in her haste to leave. When she returns all the diners and the staff help her look for it, even taking the trouble to let her check the soles of their shoes to see if it has stuck to one of them. The cut and thrust of corporate politics, with one sales team (headed by Lam Suet, as greasily cunning as ever) trying to undercut the other is not at all farfetched and the scene toward the end when the head of the office and Lam Suet’s character congratulate themselves because they have a fall guy to take the blame for their misdeeds is very much on the money. The gossip, backbiting and attempts to avoid work are right out of every large office in the world. As has been mentioned, the image of gossip spreading almost like a virus, through the duct work of the building, is quite telling. The shots illustrating this are very close to the shots showing how a deadly virus moves through the ducts of a hospital in the movie “Outbreak”. Recommended. Reviewer Score: 7

Reviewed by: shuqifan Date: 01/26/2003 Summary: Is it Just Me or Was This Movie Too Hoaky? Okay, I'll admit that I have only seen a few Chinese movies since getting the VCD bug recently, but boy this one wasn't that great. Andy was a pretty bland character, and I just couldn't figure out what was wrong with Kinki. Was she just a psycho babe? What was with all that tissue car wiping weirdness? The "Cupid Express" biker was over the top. I mean com'on. Let's kinda stay in reality for the first 95% of the movie, and then hey just expect the audience to believe this would happen. You'll be "Needing Aspirin..." after watching this one. 3/10 stars Reviewer Score: 3

Reviewed by: Souxie Date: 01/16/2003 Summary: okay i suppose What a weird film - it took 20 mins to realise this wasn't what I thought it was going to be. Well, I thought it was going to be about two people falling in love, like the cover kinda hinted at, and it was, just not the way I thought. To begin with there's Sammi Cheng. She's odd but not in a daffy, loveable way. Odd in a "she's ok, but do I care what happens to her?" kinda way. Then there's Andy Lau. Just when I get over his shaggy haircut I realise that while the office is gossiping about how he's a complete womaniser and arse, he's actually being nice a rude way. He shouts at people for hurting others' feelings by spreading malicious gossip, tells his employees off for being late, shouts at them for dumping their crappy jobs on other people, and yet he's not doing anything wrong. He's just doing it loudly. Yes, there was evidence of the "he sleeps with prostitutes" gossip at the beginning, but that was it. But as it turns out he spends more time entertaining clients with drinking binges than paying for anything else. The "plot" went past and I didn't notice - something about an old flame of his being back in town, her dumping a complete arse of a boyfriend (laughed my arse off at that restaurant scene), and both of them slowly realising they quite like each other. Although I didn't notice cos I was laughing at it all with gusto. There were plenty of obvious jokes, but also a lot of quite subtle ones that only people like Andy Lau can pull off; sometimes a single look is better than slapstick, and he does it very well (like when she goes off with Mr Yahoo on the bike). Mr Yahoo has a motorbike and Sammi's gushing over it cos it’s the same model as used in "A Moment of Romance" - and if you found that funny, wait for Andy's mysterious "Cupid Express" to help him out of a hole. If you're anything like me you'll be howling with laughter and wiping away the tears. But the two actors didn't really seem to have any chemistry together - I've never really thought Sammi Cheng had on-screen chemistry with anyone… but they just didn't seem to click here, even though Andy did very well in all his scenes. I'd give this movie 7/10. It's funny but doesn't have the same re-watchability as something as say, ooh, A Moment of Romance… :) Reviewer Score: 7

Reviewed by: Sydneyguy Date: 11/23/2002 Summary: Excellent!! The best romantic comedy hk has produced!! I had to re do my review since i reviewed it when i didn't even finish watching it. All the hype of this movie, it deserves. The movie is so funny yet so moving. You really like the characters Sammi and Andy portray. You are sucked into their world. Definately watch this with your girl or boyfriend, you won't regret. 9/10 Reviewer Score: 9

Reviewed by: mehaul Date: 11/19/2002 One of the best of the recent romantic comedies. Excellent chemistry between Lau and Cheng balanced with a good storyline. 9/10

Reviewed by: zarrsadus Date: 08/06/2002 Summary: Nothing special but still watchable This will just be a quick and simple review since there are already so many. While this movie was enjoyable I didn't really get "drawn in" and feel for Kinki and Andy. Maybe it was having seen too many romantic comedies but this one didn't do anything that I hadn't seen before. My girlfriend who watched this with me absolutely loved this movie, so there's probably a gender issue with this movie too. This is a good movie to see with your special someone, though if you're a male you might not be able to sit through it if you've already seen a romantic comedy :). No new ground being broken in this genre but it'll always be a great "girl movie." 6 out of 10 Reviewer Score: 6

Reviewed by: coolphenomenal Date: 08/02/2002 Summary: i luv it very much! This is the movie i love most.The coupling between sammi n andy is perfect.I love this movie.absolutely perfect!the best!love sammi....

Reviewed by: Kyashan Date: 05/01/2002 Huh... a very nice plot-story, but also a very romantic love story. I liked this movie with Andy Lau and Sammi Cheng because is not only a drama or romance story but have comical scene too. I usually like drama or romance movies, and I can say that this is a beautiful movie with a good cast of actors.

Reviewed by: danton Date: 01/03/2002 Romantic comedy with Andy Lau and Sammi Cheng. This movie didn't do much for me - predictable plot, lame humour. The references to A MOMENT OF ROMANCE were amusing, and Sammi did a decent enough job trying to make her character (office worker with a screwed up love life who falls for her boss, played by Andy Lau) appealing, but overall, the whole movie was pretty forgettable. I expected more from a Johnny To movie.

Reviewed by: xiaoka Date: 11/22/2001 Summary: not bad... Over all not bad, but a lot of loose plot lines and glossed over details. I enjoyed it, but found it vastly inferior to 'Everyday is Valentines Day, a similar but much funnier and more romantic endeavor. Reviewer Score: 6

Reviewed by: Trigger Date: 11/20/2001 Summary: Cute Little Romantic Comedy. The Film - 7/10 This was a cute little romantic comedy with Andy Lau and Sammi Cheng. The acting was great and I just kinda liked everything about it. I don't think Andy Lau is good in roles like this though - I don't really see the appeal - I was gonna give it a 6.5 because of him and the ending, but I don't think I should bring personal feelings into the rating. The Plot - 7/10 Sammi plays a quirky girl who is looking for Mr. Right (what else is new?). Andy plays her boss who is a womanizer and quite cocky (what else is new again?). Sammi's character kinda gets thrust into Andy's personal life and they end up falling for each other. Or something like that... Things get a little crazy when Sammi is courted by a young good-looking millionare. [gasp] It's kinda dumb - but as romantic comedies go - it's fun. The Action - N/A This is a romantic comedy - there is no action. There is a bit of Andy making a scene and throwing things and there's some motorcycles and some people run instead of walk occasionally... Reviewer Score: 7

Reviewed by: runo_jp Date: 06/14/2001 Summary: needing you Here is a very good movie, who deserved its success. The chemistry between Andy Lau and Sammi Cheng is perfect. One of the best Andy Lau movie I have seen, on top of my list, together with Running out of time. Very good! 8.5/10

Reviewed by: David Harris Date: 04/19/2001 I'm not a huge Andy Lau fan but I enjoyed this more than any AL film for quite a number of years! A cute but not too cute romcom that sees Lau give one of his career best performances - the best for me being "A Moment Of Romance". I love this kind of film and after having seen it you can easily understand why it was the biggest film of 2000 in Hong Kong. Well worth watching!

Reviewed by: future113 Date: 04/18/2001 Summary: A hidden gem Just saw this movie and was surprised on how much I loved this movie. The leading actress is cute and the story is entertaining. Very funny and charming. 9.7 out of 10.

Reviewed by: Paul Fonoroff Date: 12/30/2000 A gentler, more humorous yet less sentimental Johnny To has emerged in the past year. The comedy thriller Running Out of Time (1999) couldn’t have been more of a departure from To’s trademark blood-splattered machismo. The trend is taken a step further in Needing You…, a featherweight romantic comedy with nary a corpse in view. Andy Lau Tak-wah is once again the star, but the spotlight is stolen by Sammi Cheung Sau-man in arguably her best screen role. She is Kinki, a ditsy office worker who comes across as Ally McBeal’s poorer Hong Kong cousin. Like Ally, she searches for her knight in shining armor, but unlike the Boston lawyer Kinki gets her man. He is Andy (Andy Lau Tak-wah), the manager of a software company who looks and acts like, well, Andy Lau. Needing You… is a Cinderella tale, pure and simple. The script, credited to a host of writers (Wai Ka-fai, Yau Nai-hoi, and the Milkyway Creative Team, from a story by Cindy Tang Kit-ming) has its lapses in logic and would have done well to leave Kinki’s stereotypically grasping family on the cutting room floor. But the direction, shared by To and Wai Ka-fai, is sprightly enough to permit viewers to suspend their sense of disbelief. There are a number of nifty technical touches, such as the transition from the lavatory through the air conditioning ducts to the office that illustrates the fast spread of gossip (concerning Andy’s consumption of cow’s genitalia) inside the firm. The picture is basically for fans of Andy and Sammi, though the entire production is so good-natured that even non-fans may find themselves amused. The happy ending is right out of a fairy tale, but lacking the saccharinity that marred such early To comedies as The Royal Scoundrel (1991). Cantonese movie buffs will catch the many references to A Moment of Romance, the Johnny To-produced, Andy Lau-starring motorcycle romance that was in theatres exactly one decade ago. In an industry where careers are sometimes so ephemeral and fans so fickle, it is comforting to note the To-Lau partnership is not only surviving but improving with age. 3 Stars This review is copyright (c) 2000 by Paul Fonoroff. All rights reserved. No part of the review may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner. Reviewer Score: 6

Reviewed by: lordmanji Date: 11/15/2000 Light and whimsical, Needing You starts out as a very entertaining romantic comedy, but somehow at the end it's almost fulfilled promise takes a unexpected detour into the realm of implausibility and confusion. Andy Lau is one of the top two managers of a respected firm, and Sammi Cheng is a geeky but beautiful white-collar employee under Andy. The story is built around their budding love, and also the events around them, such as the gossip-ridden workplace or the super handsome billionaire, Roger. Sammi does an outstanding job as Kinki, as she gives her character much personality through her immature handling of situations, such as cleaning when mad. Andy does what he always does - gets the job done. Watching these two stumble their way towards each other in often hilarious and sincere scenes such as when Andy eats all the exotic food for Sammi. Also, the characters were easily the main attractions here, as each oozed with personality, from the people at the sales office to the prospective buyer from China. Of course, Andy and Sammi's characters are the center of attention here, and part of the reason why they are so appealing is that they are believable in their roles, Kinky as needy and quirky, and Andy as also needy but more pragmatic and with clear vision for the future of him and his company. Yet, as good as most of the movie is, severe problems develop as the movie attempts to tie the ending like a fairytale, neat, pretty, and perfect. When Andy gets in trouble because the rival sales manager and his boss want to frame him, the question must be asked why would they want to frame him? Also, when Kinki seeks help for Andy through Roger, suddenly she is whooshed away to be married on a gigantic yacht, yet it is never explained why Roger, a sensible guy, would ever want to marry Kinky since she had made it clear she wanted Andy. Also, instead of them answering the question, another question is asked why Sammi would prefer Andy over Roger. Although this does server a purpose of giving grounds to their love for each other, the root problem still remains: why is she whisked away on a boat to marry Roger and how can that possibly help Andy? These conflicts are all based on suspect basis, as it goes against everything the rest of the film was, that being sufficiently detailed and realistic, yet still retaining some whimsical aspects such as Sammi's charm and it's magic. Another fault in this movie also occurs towards the end of the film, where Andy is on the way to rescue Kinky from marriage and his car breaks down only to have a mysterious white clothed motorcyclist come to His rescue, informing Andy that he was once burned, now his mission is to help people like Andy. While at first the whimsical aspects of the movie were light and spread evenly throughout, this scene is wholely unbelievable as it pours in too much fantasy when the rest of the film spread it thin. The final scene where Andy gives up his work for Sammi also is sketchy and paradoxical. Sammi was attracted to Andy because of his personality good looks, but not only that - she was also attracted to his success. Andy was built up the entire movie as a workaholic. While they may have fallen in love, Andy's subsequent apathy towards his job is unbelievable and foolish, something Andy's character was the total opposite in the rest of the movie - the good parts. Basically, the ending compromised the film, but the 2/3's of it leading up the botched ending were funny, entertaining and the characters were the true stars, as they were given so much personality. It's too bad that the ending contradicted everything the good parts of the movie built up, and in the end was Too ungrounded that it ruined the film from a better review.

Reviewed by: Yellow Hammer Date: 11/13/2000 One of the best pictures I have seen from a HK DVD, very vibrant picture. A very funny romantic comedy, I recommend the DVD wholeheartedly. It might be a nice idea to have seen A Moment of Romance before watching this film, this film makes many hilarious explicit and implicit references to this movie. Great job by both Sammi and Andy.

Reviewed by: shelly Date: 11/09/2000 Summary: Commercial filmmaking at its best NEEDING YOU is merely well-crafted Hong Kong entertainment spun so deftly that it takes off and soars out of its own local orbit. Sammi Cheng continues to show serious ability as a comedienne. Her sense of anarchy -- her intense but flakey air of total distraction -- was hilarious. Yet her scenes seemed to belong to a sustained character, rather than merely a patchwork of set pieces. Andy Lau is light, easy, a pleasure to watch. Too bad the film coudn't or wouldn't sustain the daffy, off-centre energy of its first half in its second. Something happens to deflate the film, turning it from screwball comedy to soap opera melodrama as it spins towards its discreet conclusion. Still, the damage can't undo what NEEDING YOU achieved. Even in the gender roles department, somehow, the film surpasses AND I HATE YOU SO, its competition for romantic comedy of the year. NEEDING YOU offers something less like a trap for the woman and more like a stage on which each of the parties in the romance managed to negotiate some middle ground, giving up a little, but preserving their autonomy and integrity in the process. Commercial filmmaking near its best. Reviewer Score: 9

Reviewed by: magic-8 Date: 09/20/2000 Summary: Standard But Entertaining Johnnie To takes a break from the Triad scene by making "Needing You...," a romantic comedy that harkens back to the formulaic films of the '80s, except that it doesn't ham it up or go for the comicbook reactions. To plays it straight for most of this film about two people (Andy Lau and Sammi Cheng) who have a hard time expressing their feelings and affection for each other. You've seen the premise before. Two people work in the same office and get caught up in each other's lives through gossip and misunderstanding. They fall for each other fairly early and have the rest of the movie to put all the pieces together. Raymond Wong plays an internet millionaire, who is the man in the middle, due to a blind date, and acts as the catalyst between Lau and Cheng. No new ground is broken with this film. What we get is basically a genuinely warm feeling that is exuded by the lead characters, Lau and Cheng. Like most situation-comedies, "Needing You..." works best when one character tries to work out a problem while relying on the other for support. We see them become animated and alive as they feed off of each other's energy. Other than the interaction between Lau and Cheng, the movie is derivative and standard fare, but entertaining nonetheless.

Reviewed by: MilesC Date: 09/19/2000 Summary: Johnnie To can do no wrong... ...And he continues his streak with Needing You. Funny, cute (not "cutesy") and sure to put you in a good mood. Andy and Sammi give very good performances. There's just enough "magical realism" to get some laughs, but it doesn't cross over the line into sheer silliness. Not a lot to be said here, other than that this might be the best, and is certainly one of the best, movies of 2000 so far. The only real strike against it is the often irritating soundtrack. If there were any justice in this world, as punishment for "Sausalito," Andrew Lau would be forced to watch this movie 100 times back to back. Maybe he could learn something.

Reviewed by: trenty Date: 09/04/2000 Summary: Good performance resulting good movie. "Needing You" is a funny romantic movie which you can sit through without sleeping. Simple script with good actings resulting an enjoyable movie overall. During the movie time, there are some jokes which are very funny especially (SPOILER) the part where Andy was trying to learn how to ride a motorcycle. Although it's a simple romantic script, but it's good enough to watch since the performance of actors in the movie are great. Speaking of the performance, the leading role by Andy as a sales manager was a good one. Although his role was not bad, Sammi's acting in the movie as a sale agent was good too. Other supporting actors by Garbiel and Fiona as each leading actor's ex-boyfriend and ex-girlfriend were acted out with their standard too. Overall, the cast did their work and resulting many funny moments. To conclude, I found this movie an enjoyable one though not the best one I had seen but good enough to sit through without falling asleep. There are many funny moments in the movie with good above standard performances.

Reviewed by: Dai Lo Date: 07/04/2000 Summary: sweet heartwarming film A romantic comedy staring 2 of hong kongs biggest pop stars, Andy (Andy Lau) is a womanizing divorced sales manager and Kinki (Sammi Cheng) a quirky love lorn sales agent. The 2 cross paths. At first Andy is annoyed with her, but slowly his affections grow for her despite his efforts to ignore them when he finally realizes it, its almost too late. The acting was well done by the leads especially Sammi who played her strange but extremely likable character very well. And a fairly simple script with sharp visuals make for one enjoyable movie. A very sweet movie for those looking for some light-hearted entertainment.