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.