Film review: Go Lala Go II – Ariel Lin lends integrity to clichéd office romance

The lead actress’ performance in this rom-com sequel almost turns an implausible offering into a serene meditation on romantic ideals

Chinese language cinema

Edmund Lee

Published: 6:00am, 10 Dec 2015

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Add this to the legion of Chinese rom-coms which threaten to condemn career-minded women as leftovers. A sequel to actress-director Xu Jinglei’s Go Lala Go! (2010), which saw the upwardly mobile Lala navigate a workplace love triangle, this latest adaptation of author Li Ke’s bestselling series goes through the same motions with a new writer-director, Andrew Chien, and an all-new cast.

Now the human resources manager of a multinational enterprise, Lala (played by Ariel Lin Yi-chen) sees her promotion prospects dwindle dramatically after a no-nonsense president (Vivian Wu Junmei) takes over. To compound her misery, the 33-year-old’s longtime boyfriend (Vic Chou Yu-min) appears way too preoccupied with his fledgling career as a photographer to consider tying the knot.

In a twist that should delight this chick flick’s target audiences, Lala soon finds new sparks in her professional and private lives: after she’s given a precious chance to impress in her supervisor’s sudden enforced absence, Lala is also seriously courted by the wealthy bachelor (Chen Bo-lin) who’s negotiating to join her company as a major business partner.

Vic Chou (left) in a scene from the film.

Although none of these come across as believable – not least the part where Lala misrepresents herself as the company VP for weeks on end – Go Lala Go II is still a fairly serviceable watch for its lead actress’ endearing turn. In a role that calls for ridicule, Lin maintains a dignified air that nearly turns the whole shebang into a serene meditation on romantic ideals.

Go Lala Go II opens on December 10

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