Vicki Zhao Wei, Masahiro Motoki, Sam Lee Chan-sam
Director: Zhang Yibai
Shanghai's nightscape is given an atmospheric showcase in this offbeat comedy-drama about a male Japanese makeup artist and a female taxi driver. He wanders the city's streets, lost in translation, until the perky cabbie finds him.
It's a connection that subtly changes both their lives, along with those around them, and one of the more interesting examples of the frequently cliche-ridden 'clash of cultures' sub-genre.
Director Zhang Yibai explored the personal side of Sino-Japanese relationships in About Love (2005), and again avoids the stereotypes in his depiction of the brief but emotionally charged encounter between driver Lin Xi and stylist Naoki Mizushima (Vicky Zhao and Masahiro Motoki, below left).
The picture gets off to a rocky start, with the leads' initial meeting appearing contrived and Zhao's acting overly cutesy. The director's attempts to weave the main tale with intersecting subplots, in which the two cross paths with colleagues and acquaintances, is laden with semi-realised potential.