Comrades: Almost a Love Story (1996) on Netflix
Lai Siu Gwan leaves mainland China for Hong Kong to earn money and bring his fiancée over. There he meets Qiao Li, a streetwise Guangzhou woman who profits from other mainlanders.
- Netflix4.3/5
- IMDb8.1/109,253 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes89%
Trailer
Plot summary
Qiao Li, a Cantonese speaker from Guangzhou, is an opportunist who makes her way in Hong Kong by taking advantage of other mainlanders like herself. Lai Siu Gwan arrives from mainland China with one aim: to earn enough money to bring his fiancée over to the city. He is a naive Northerner, and in the loneliness of Hong Kong the two become friends. Over the years the friendship turns into love, but he still wants the earnings that would bring his fiancée to Hong Kong, and Qiao Li still wants to get rich. Because their ambitions differ, they are unable to be together.
Cast
- Tung Cho 'Joe' Cheungas Yan
- Michelle Gabrielas Cabbage
- Jane Choias Yan's Friend at Barbeque
- Yu Tingas George
- Gine Luias Travel Agency Owner
- Heather Traberas U.S. Immigration Officer
- Len Berdickas U.S. Immigration Officer
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Comrades: Almost a Love Story (1996)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Peter Chan originally wanted Faye Wong for the lead because of her mainland Chinese origins, but she turned the role down, so he cast Maggie Cheung instead.
- Mainland Chinese authorities initially restricted the film, but the restrictions were lifted in 2015, and for the mainland release the singer Luhan recorded a new version of the song "Tian Mi Mi".
- The film's Chinese title, Tian Mi Mi, comes from a song by Teresa Teng, and the movie is considered a love poem in memory of the singer, who died a year before its release.
