Xing yuan

Call me mean for laughing at this obvious but awkward attempt to jerk tears out of the unsuspecting audience. I am not a heartless soul, but yet, this movie just tries too hard to play the melodramatic moments that I can't help to ponder that other movies of similar vein have done better jobs (e.g. Heaven Can't Wait).

The plot is simple: A blind man given a chance to return to Earth for 5 days to finish unfinished business, but there is a rule: he can't reveal who he is, and those who are close to him can't recognize him. So he returns to Earth to meet his long lost ones, only to meet competition...

You can't really call this plot original, so the movie must survive on its cast and its ability to move the hearts of the audience. As for the cast, Cecilia was quite good in her role. Unfortunately, Rickie (Onion) had just overacted his part. The transformation of him from a blind man, to a jealous boy friend, to a fulfilled philospher ready to accept his fate, only to become the lover again, all in a matter of 5 days, was just too incredulous. I guess when time is short, people do tend to achieve more.

But I can't forgive the film for its obvious attempts to jerk tears off the audience... Don't get me wrong, I would love a cry if the movie expresses genuine, deep, sad moments, but this movie just isn't. For a direct comparison, check out Heaven Can't Wait, now, that is a true classic which deserves a good cry over.

A 5/10 in my book.

"Fly Me to Polaris" ("Xing Yuan") is one of the top three Hong Kong movies that had an impact on me and my movie viewing history. Why? Well because it is simply a very heartfelt and warm story, a romantic story that is very sad and beautiful.

The movie's two lead roles, played by Richie Ren (playing Onion/Cheuk) and Cecilia Cheung (playing Autumn Yue) have such great on-screen chemistry together that it really is a perfect match. And truth be told, then Cecilia Cheung is cut out for these particular type of roles, because she aces it here in "Fly Me to Polaris", just as she did in "Failan".

The story is quite beautiful and moving. It is about a blind and dumb man who works at a hospital, where he has fallen in love with a reclusive nurse. Tragedy strikes, leaving the man to die, but he is given five days on Earth to be reunited with his love. Unfortunately he cannot reveal his true identity. But the power of love and the powers of fate always have a way of setting things right.

If you enjoy Asian cinema, and Hong Kong cinema in particular, then you definitely have to acquaint yourself with "Fly Me to Polaris", if you haven't already done so, because this is one of the most brilliant movie moments in the non-action genre to come out of Hong Kong. And the movie is accompanied by a beautiful title track that is brilliantly sung by Cecilia Cheung.

A word of advice, if you are the sentimental type, then you might want to have a tissue or two at hand when you watch this movie.

The asian version of HEAVAN CAN WAIT, my favourite with Warren Beatty, moves Chinese teenagers to tears. Probably in scenes that make us Westerners rather laugh because of their simple and direct actors. Only Cecilia Cheung was convincing, the main protagonist Richie Ren, a popstar from Taiwan, a failure at least in the first part where he impersonated a blind man. After a fatal accident he is sent back to earth and tries to convince Cecilia of his love. Of course, there is a competitor ...

in this movie is about one guy who was blind but he lucky to meet a good nursed. after she spend time to took care of blind man they both being to fall in love with each other. but they didn't realize it until the blind man died by the car accident. everything has already too late when they both realize it. but god is too good for them that let them to have one more opportunity to meet each other by let the blind man come to see her. so he will not regret it but the time is too short it had only five days that he can see her and talk to her. before he knew that he will leave her anyways i tried to tell her how he feel that he could not tell her before by pretending to be someone who name Chuck. she could feel that he came back because he is the only person who understand her the most whether she sad or she is happy, he always be with her. one night she told him that she want to hear saxophone but she didn't know that the could play saxophone. so he played for her. after she listen she was so happy. love can make impossible to become possible. as if i was him i will not feel regret it even five days is too short but at least he know she loves him and the time that he tried to come to see her is not for nothing. the true love always be hurt so people can remember it.

Onion (Ren) is blind, mute and has to live in hospital, but his life is good as he's in love with his beautiful nurse, Autumn (Cheung). Unfortunately he expresses his joy by dancing around like a nutter, and ends up being hit by a car and killed in a (presumably) unintentionally funny scene. His spirit flies to, er, Polaris, where he's given a chance to return to Earth for five days and see the face of his beloved for the first time. The only problem is, he'll look completely different from when he was alive and won't be able to reveal who he is.

He agrees, but once he sees Autumn again he knows he cannot leave without telling her how he feels, and knowing if she feels the same.

Explain the premise of this movie to anyone, and they might well steer clear of it. And that would be a bit of a shame as, while you could find it painfully syrupy and melodramatic, you might also find it a touching and lovely piece of cinema. I guess it depends how cynical you are.

A young Cecilia Cheung is earnest and pretty, and acts the socks off her overacting co-star. To be fair, Onion would be a difficult part for anyone to play, and it's perhaps too much for Taiwanese pop star Ren.

It's a beautiful looking film, and the score is heartfelt and enjoyable when it isn't being overly intrusive.

The Deltamac DVD provides a decent picture and clear subtitling, with only a small amount of on-the-fly grammar correction required.