And I Hate You So

This could well be a Nora Ephron film (read "When Harry Met Sally", "Sleepless In Seattle" and "You've Got Mail"). $$ID=Yee Chung Man$$'s sophomore directorial effort, following "&&ID=V1030||Name=Anna Magdalena&&" - part of HK cinema's current penchant for romantic comedies - reunites $$ID=Aaron Kwok$$ and $$ID=Kelly Chen$$ in a tale of bitter enemies turned lovers. Aaron Kwok is convincing as Cheung Yang, a popular host of a lonely-hearts radio programme with acerbic wit, a sharp tongue, a fair share of male bigotry and a preference for vinyl records of nostalgic music. But it is Kelly Chen who steals the show as Luna Ng, a paper columnist with quirky sensitive musings on urban life - entitled Luna (tongue-in-cheek Cantonese translation being menstrual) Cycle. They clash over a first pressing of "Ella and Louis Again" in a second hand store which was a heartfelt gift, personal message intact, from Luna to her ex - newly bought by Cheung who refuses to let her have it back as a keepsake. To add insult to injury, he lambasts her on the airwaves - to the tune of Ella on "The Lady Is A Tramp". She reciprocates by - you guessed it - slamming his actions in her column and this war of spoken and written words escalates with much humour. Unwittingly, in finding ways of getting back at each other, the rivals begin to fall in love. He looks forward to reading her column, on the pretext of using it for more mudslinging and she sprints home just in time to catch his show. As this media slinging heats up, Cheung receives enough bad publicity for his show to be pulled off. Is it tryst or tristesse for this unseeming couple?

Director Yee, a former cinematographer has a fine eye for graphic detail which is evident throughout the softly fluid visuals. A previously crisp, now rumpled white shirt stained with red wine splashed by Luna on Cheung hangs in his loft, streaming lead light enhancing this reminder of their encounter - which he hesitates to wash out. Yee does similar wonders with a clear white parasol, which is a belonging of Luna's - it is soiled and she tries to rid herself of it only to search for it later. These idiosyncracies belie the storytelling - smart and understated at its best dialogue turns. Luna starts off the film on her worst ever day soliloquy - her apartment heat has been cut off in the dead of winter, she steps on dog poo wrecking a pair of sneakers with many grooves on the sole - something this viewer certainly empathises with (imagine getting it off). And HK is seen through un HK-like lenses - this could have been set in any other city, especially NYC. Yee shoots the urban environs with big city slickness to rival Manhattan and the narrow sidestreets and older buildings with a quaint charm reminiscent of brownstones. The characters too are a cosmopolitan bunch of star cameos, including $$ID=Teresa Mo$$ and $$ID=Eric Tsang$$ - as another unlikely couple in a parallel on/off relationship which somewhat detracts from the story, $$ID=Cheung Tat Ming$$ as a RSPCA attendant, $$ID=Jessica Hester Hsuen$$ as Cheung's producer cum girlfriend and $$ID=Julian Cheung Chi Lam$$ as Luna's ex returned from abroad to add to complications. Aaron plays his role with smart boyish charm while Kelly storms around funnily with her lanky gait - a far cry from her usual pop princess persona. The results are mostly entertaining and pleasing to the eye - up till the last heartwarming moment when this most unlikely of couples finally make it to their first unflinching onscreen kiss that will melt the coldest of hearts!