Big plans for Perfect Wedding
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Cast of Perfect Wedding. |
Opening Friday nationwide, Perfect Wedding is the latest Hong Kong film to top the box office, bringing in 5.2 million yuan ($ 0.7 million) in its first week. In anticipation of big numbers on the mainland, many cinemas are said to be preparing even more scheduled slots for the film.
According to Wanda Cinemas, on average about 75 percent seats have been presold in Beijing, 78 percent in Shanghai and Nanjing, which is fairly high for a relatively low budget production.
"For a love story, its box office success was unexpected, especially when there are blockbusters like Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps and Don Quixote released during the same time. "We are definitely having more screenings this week," said Dong Xue, sales manager for cinema chain Wanda.
In the tradition of Hong Kong cinematic storytelling, Perfect Wedding recounts how Xin (Miriam Yeung), a wedding planner who despite always arranges amazing wedding for others, is left at the altar by her fiancé. Still heartbroken years later, she continues in wedding planning yet no longer believes in love.
"It is a modern story, quite sentimental and moving, how a girl goes from top of the hill to the lowest low, and slowly having the courage to love again to have her happy-ending fairy tale," said Yeung, who was newly married last year and still expecting her own big wedding next year, "it's not my story, but what I have in com-mon with Xin is that, after all, we still believe in love and marriage."
To help the film hit closer to home with audiences, director Barbara Wong interviewed her female friends and her actresses, collecting their experiences and opinions of love, "I spent a lot of time with the actors and actresses talking through the story and exchanging thoughts, it was very helpful for both acting and directing," said Wong.
The film also boasts great casting, including Raymond Lam and leading Chinese TV actor Bernice Liu, whose "household name" status is said to have attracted lots of attention to the film through his many fans.
Other Hong Kong actresses, such as Teresa Mo, Kate Tsui and Chrissie Chau, are adorned in stunning outfits throughout, adding a extra hint of fashion to the film. Costume design gets another nod with Chau's sexy underwear scene, while there is also a Lady Gaga-like outfit featured to the delight of fashion lovers.
Reflecting on Hong Kong's younger generation, the story comments on both its lifestyle and values while questioning social norms. For example, Feng, after not turning up for his own wedding, an arranged marriage, and goes traveling on his own, he falls in love with Xin, who is five years his senior and earns more. Not considered a traditional match, the couple initially was n afraid to hold hands in public, but eventually brakes the rules. "The film tells how important trust and responsibility are in relationships, recommended to those who have little faith in marriage," said Lawrence Cheng, producer of the film.
"These kinds of stories...happen every day in Hong Kong, but as we say in the poster, 'choose the one you love, love the one you choose'," said Wong.
Perfect Wedding is considered a comeback of sorts for producers the Shaw Brothers, the largest film production company of Hong Kong. After halting its production of features in 1987, the historic filmmakers have recently began releasing films.
In addition to Perfect Wedding, Shaw Brothers also released 72 Tenants of Prosperity earlier this year, both films are seen as the company reaching out to the mainland market.
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