A Time to Love

INTRODUCTION
A Time to Love, or "Qing Ren Jie", is an artistic film directed by Huo Jianqi, starring famous actors Zhao Wei and Lu Yi. Based on Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet", "Qing Ren Jie" is an endearing statement about the intensity and power of loving someone.

If I could use two words to A Time to Love they would be "sweet" and "simple." They say that romance movies do not appeal to younger audiences, but I felt that "A Time to Love" was an outstanding, moving romance movie. There is something intangible that makes this movie one that audiences are sure to like. The plot is simple - a quintessential Romeo and Juliet romance, but the sweet, classic love between the main characters is no less meaningful.

SYNOPSIS
Quite simply, "A Time to Love" is about two children, Qu Ran (Zhao Wei) and Hou Jia (Lu Yi) who live in the same building. They develop a childhood friendship that soon blossoms into love. However, Hou Jia soon learns from his mother (Song Xiaoying) about the hatred between their families. Both families object to the romance between them. When college separates Qu Ran and Hou Jia, Qu Ran discovers Shakespeare's play, "Romeo and Juliet", and is moved by how Romeo and Juliet's story compares to theirs. Both Qu Ran and Hou Jia decide that no matter what, they must remain together, and prove the power of loving someone. However, they soon learn that being together will hurt their families, but they do not want to leave each other. Caught in this dilemma, Hou Jia decides to study abroad for seven years, while Qu Ran waits for him. When Hou Jia finally returns, they are unsure of their love. Will they still be able to be together?

PLOT ANALYSIS
While I usually criticize these cliche plotlines, "A Time to Love" is different because the way Romeo and Juliet is integrated into this story is wonderful. Many movies are based on a well-known storyline, but in "A Time to Love", the characters actually read "Romeo and Juliet" and realize how their story parallels to theirs. When Qu Ran and Hou Jia recite lines from "Romeo and Juliet", I really felt the true but painful love between them. I think that the director's choice to make "Romeo and Juliet" such a vital part of this movie was a wise decision, because it helped me feel the burden of the characters' decisions.

The movie moves at a relatively nice pace, starting with a game of "rock, paper, scissors" that brought true feelings of nostaglia to me. I felt there could have been more Qu Ran and Hou Jia scenes after Hou Jia returned from studying, but there were a plentiful of lovely romance scenes to make up for it.

ACTING
The main actors, Zhao Wei and Lu Yi, really do carry the show very well. Zhao Wei's performance is particularly outstanding, showing the playful, spunky side of Qu Ran, as well as the more melancholic side. Her wonderful range of emotions really steals the show. Additionally, her braids and fringe look quite cute on her. Lu Yi is also quite memorable in this film, clearly depicting the love his character, Hou Jia, had for Qu Ran, as well as his filial duty to his mother.

Most importantly, the chemistry between Zhao Wei and Lu Yi is second to none. They are incredibly powerful together, and they really made me believe that love can still exist, hundreds of years after Shakespeare wrote "Romeo and Juliet". I really look forward to them working together again in their new series, "Che Shen" (Fast Track Love).

As for the supporting characters, none of them had a particularly vital role in this movie. However, I felt Lu Yi's mother, portrayed by Song Xiaoying, was quite good. She gave the character a real edge. Sometimes I really felt annoyed at Lu Yi's mother for her close-mindedness, but I could feel the pain she had over her husband's death. Finally, her motherly nitpicking towards Lu Yi's character, Hou Jia, was a nice additional touch. Overall, the acting from the supporting characters was strong, but the leads really brought the show alive.

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Now to discuss some of the cinema-related effects...I felt that the background music was a wonderful addition to this movie. The wordless music playing in the background really helped bring out the mood. Further, I love the angle at which they shot some of the scenes. One particularly good example is when Qu Ran and Hou Jia are seen in the distance, walking on top of a building. I also really liked the part where they shot Qu Ran and Hou Jia's shadows, making a pose that resembled a kiss. However, when the camera turned back to Qu Ran and Hou Jia making their pose, the audience would realize they were only faking it and fooling around with their shadows. The great range of scenery is definitely nice. The condition of the buildings really brought out the feeling of the 80s, while the last few scenes, shot in modern-day China, really gave a great contrast to the rest of the show.

FAVOURITE SCENES
- A small touch I really liked was how Qu Ran and Hou Jia would make a star with an elastic band, as that is something I used to do during my childhood days

- The beginning, when Qu Ran and Hou Jia ripped their names off the list.

- The first time Qu Ran arrives home, and her mother nitpicks about her test scores. There was something I loved about the way the carefree Qu Ran responded.

- When Qu Ran and Hou Jia shared a cup of noodles - it was just simply cute!

- The part before Hou Jia left to study abroad, and Qu Ran's parting words.

- When both Hou Jia and Qu Ran go separately to see "Romeo and Juliet", the ballet, and end up sitting in the same theatre without noticing.

- The ending scene is just classic, and I really could not help but smile when I saw the expression on their faces.

CONCLUSION
Nostaglia and love. What two feelings could mean more to a person? I rate this movie a 5-star, even higher than Zhao Wei's action flick, "So Close". For all romance movie lovers, or really anyone, "A Time to Love" is a definite watch. Although being an artistic film, it lacks the action that seems to characterize Asian films nowadays, it is definitely worth the time. Great acting, great direction, great script - and a lot of bittersweet moments sure to cause one's heart to ache. A absolutely beautiful love story.