Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? OK.
Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? No.
Score: 3.0/5
Secret ending? Yes, and there’s also an epilogue during the credits.
Running time: 131 minutes (~2.25 hours)
“Finding Mr Right 2 (北京遇上西雅图之不二情书)” is a romantic drama, and a standalone sequel to”Finding Mr Right (北京遇上西雅图)”. In this new tale, we see two star-crossed lovers who fall in love through handwritten missives. But will they ever be united in person? It stars Tang Wei (Jiao), Wu Xiubo (Daniel), Ling (Kara Wai), Grandpa (Paul Cin Pei), and Grandma (Wu Yanshu).
“Finding Mr Right 2 (北京遇上西雅图之不二情书)” owes a lot to “Sleepless in Seattle,” which is where the first movie also took inspiration from. Unfortunately in this day and age, it seems silly that they would long to talk to and meet each other, but not exchange any contact details through their many letters. It plays out like a long insipid OkCupid conversation between two non-committal people, and then suddenly draws to a close when the film runs out of time.
Highlights
Sweet love story
Say what you will about the premise and its execution, but the actual love story is still a sweet one. It boils down to the fact that the two main characters are very damaged individuals who can’t seem to cope with the pressures of modern society. Their longing for companionship is what brings them together, and they eventually discover that longing is fulfilled in their physical letters to each other.
Beautiful visuals
The shots romanticise all the locations that they’re in, whether they be Macau or Las Vegas. Even the most ordinary of sets like a simple bedroom is cast in soft lighting and with a shallow depth of field, creating a movie that subconsciously sets you in the mood for love. Through the shots alone, you can tell that this is meant to be an epic love story that spans continents and oceans.
Letdowns
Implausible scenarios
The premise is still believable, though it strains credibility, but so many other setups in the film feel ridiculous. The problem is that since the couple is physically separated, they need to have their own separate vignettes and side stories for the movie to continue. Yet these situations are so ludicrous, like a couple who cannot speak English but can sign and understand English title deeds. It tears at your suspension of disbelief and becomes more like a fairytale rather than a love story that could happen to you.
And the English, oh, the English. It’s so painful to hear that you wonder how Daniel (Wu Xiubo) manages to sell any houses, since he’s a real estate agent in the film. He drops almost all his end consonants and without subtitles, you might not understand his English dialogue.
Letter writing scenes are inconsistent
The letter writing scenes are emotional and impactful when they’re planned for, because there is proper setup and payoff. But the film also uses the letter writing to cover up plot jumps and bad editing, and this is where the seams show. There’s a particularly painful letter writing scene which looks like spare footage cobbled together to make a montage, just so the film can show the passage of time and transition between two unconnected scenes. The inconsistent quality of the letter writing scenes diminishes the premise, and is not something you particularly look forward to.
No tension
There’s no struggle for them to be together, not until much, much later in the film. That is the biggest issue that plagues the film. It’s not a “will they or won’t they” scenario, because clearly they don’t really care until the end. They have their own lives, their own relationships, and their own world, separate from each other, and never do the twain meet until the climax. Without the need or want to be together, there’s zero tension, and it causes the film to feel purposeless. You don’t root for the couple, and it’s just watching events unfold.
“Finding Mr Right 2 (北京遇上西雅图之不二情书)” needs more initiative from its protagonists to be a good romance.
“Finding Mr Right 2 (北京遇上西雅图之不二情书)” opens in cinemas 5 May, 2016 (Thursday).
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