Romance begins between the divorced daughter of a well to do family in decline and a wealthy international businessman in Shanghai and Hong Kong on the eve of World War II. Mr. Fan wants to be sure that Miss Pai loves him, and is not just using him to escape the trap that her place in her family has become. She is afraid of being discarded after he loses interest in her, and she doesn't want to repeat the failure of her first marriage. The question that they face is whether his ideal of love and freedom can harmonize with her goal of traditional marriage and commitment.

The performances of Cora Miao and Chow Yun Fat are excellent and their depictions of their characters ring true. Director Ann Hui tells the story expertly. She uses flashbacks to opera performances, and music and gestures characteristic of opera, to suggest that Miss Pai is playing a classic role, and is aware of it. The opera references also imply that her goal is to reach the romantic ideal presented in opera, despite her own experiences in marriage and family life that have fallen short of this ideal.

The lead characters do a lot of talking, but it's worth the effort to listen and think about what this movie has to say.