Love Lies (2024)

[adevyish]

My obligatory VIFF film of the year is Love Lies (我談的那場戀愛), a comedy about an online romance scam victim and her scammer. It’s a cleverly constructed film, mixing police interviews, flashbacks, and daydream sequences seamlessly. The cinematography on the daydream sequences — translating the uncanniness of Google Streetview into a film with real actors — was particularly inspired.

The film stars Sandra Ng, who is instantly recognizable, and Michael Cheung, in his second film role. Cheung’s role is fun because the audience is immediately presented with two completely different versions of the same character, and prompted to ask: what happened to him? Stephy Tang also appears as a flirty has-been screenwriter, a source of both comedy and wisdom. The film is grounded by more mundane side characters that are no less interesting; I wish we learned more about what happened to soccer dad and Esso attendant.

The film manages to keep pace with its ambitious non-chronological construction. Like any good HK movie, it lures you in with quips and caricatures until it punches you in the face with sorrow and regret. There are a few weaker points in the film, but it’s hard to imagine them removed without impacting what the story is trying to convey. The epilogue was a nice bow on top.