Movie Review – If You Are The One(2008)

If You Are The One is a movie directed by Feng Xiaogang who is among China’s most renowned directors for the Chinese New Year. The film series If You Are The One one, two and three were published.

A single Chinese bachelor and the returnees from USA Qin Fen (Ge You) in his late 40s would like to find his spouse after achieving big success in his business. He posts marriage announcements on the blind date website socializing with the premise of marriage. He met lots of people in the romantic social meeting. Smiley(Shu Qi) is one of the women, who is a flight attendant and someone’s mistress. That guy would not leave his wife but still keep the affair. She shares this misery with Qin. To be fair, he also shares his past love experience with her. His ex-girlfriend commits suicide because of the failure of their love relationship. Smiley does not intend to get married. She would like to find someone who would listen to her misery in the affair. Then, the middle-aged Qin keeps on finding his target. He is financially stable but the women he met have their expectations. It is hard to meet someone who matches the expectations of each other. He cannot find an ideal spouse who is a simple and sane woman and also does not mind his age. Later, Qin and Smiley traveled to Hokkaido to try to forget about the hurt from her boyfriend. Through the days they spend with each other, Smiley finds out that Qin Fen is a considerate, sincere and reliable man. Middle-aged people are very mature in social skills. He leaves the money for his fellow citizen who works overseas in Japan. However, Smiley cannot forget about her boyfriend due to the past and commits suicide in Japan. He takes care of her in the hospital. Then, they can begin their relationship.

Nowadays, is blind date common in Hong Kong? People usually meet their Mr or Mrs. Right naturally more than finding their Mr or Mrs. Right on purpose. In the modern society of fast-food love, blind dating specializing in marriage seems to be a conservative behavior that does not conform to the trend of free love. Some people would not rush for love. Some people believe they can thrive by finding the right target. Using dating apps or meeting people online is more common to find singles in Hong Kong. Tinder, Coffee Meets Bagel and Bumble are highest used dating apps. Also, many speed dating companies in Hong Kong serve as agents to allocate the people who match your requirements to you. What can you expect at a meeting? They will organize activities, such as a one-day tour for singles, dessert dating classes, river cruises, mature couples looking to get married, and parties for 100 people. Some companies even provide coaching sessions about dating like how to make the first move or start a conversation. The participants can grab the chance to socialize with potential targets. If people who would make an effort to sign up, show up and dress up, they are more sincere in finding their targets. People always prefer high-quality singles.

In a fast-paced metropolis, most of the citizens are workaholics and work for long working hours. People may not meet the right person in the workplace which provides a lack of romantic opportunities. With the rise of dating apps, it is so easy to meet new people for speed dating. People may date many people at the same time using dating apps.  At the same time, it is hard for them to maintain the relationship and they are easy to be infidel. There are many successful blind dates using dating apps so it depends on the fate. 

The plot in the film reflects the situation of middle-aged people. Chinese actors and Hong Kong actors collaborate in this film. People in middle age who are not in a relationship are labeled to be leftover women or men. What is the condition of choosing your mate? Humans reflect on themselves by studying animals. When choosing mates, animals evolve species-typical strategies for maximizing their reproductive success. In most species, females are choosier when picking a mate than males as females generally pay higher costs of reproduction. They prefer good genes, which means that the male has attributes which predict better survivorship of the offspring. Also, they consider the possession of resources by the male that will support the offspring during their growth and development or good potential parenting by the male. Males tend to spread their genes more widely. It is difficult for men to be loyal and faithful. Beautiful females indicate their good fitness. Most of them will give birth to healthy children. Males prefer beautiful and healthy females for their offspring. Moreover, males typically compete among themselves for access to females. Male mental abilities increase through competition for mates.

If you are middle-aged, will it be hard to choose your mate? It is supposed that males gain lots of resources in middle age. However, their body condition may not be good. Their health may have problems. As mentioned above, males and females are seeking to optimize their reproductive success biologically. They may face challenges when choosing the right mate in the dating market. Dating also requires timing and luck. Money is easy to get, but true love is hard to find.

Middle-aged man gain lots of experience and great communication skills in their lives. It is another advantage of attracting females. There are many humorous dialogues in the film. For instance, Qin Fen said, to use the word "pleasing to the eye" is to underestimate you. You have to be a beauty to behold, a beauty to behold in a crowd, and someone who would be as good as Diana if she married into the royal family. Some people are beautiful in the eyes of their lovers, and it is not an exaggeration to say that you are also beautiful in the eyes of your enemies. That witty conversation entertains Smiley.

In addition, another problem in modern love relationships is commitment. People will not treasure things that come easily. Middle-aged people will treasure their mates more than teenagers as their chances of finding the right mates decrease.

To conclude, the integration of current affairs and Feng's humorous dialogues that are amazing. There are also the beautiful sceneries of Hangzhou Xixi Wetland and Hokkaido, as well as the superb acting skills of two powerful actors, Shu Qi and Ge You whose characters are portrayed with flesh and blood under the skillful packaging and shooting by director Feng Xiaogang. Whether you are a viewer who wants to see the tricks or just watch the fun, everyone can get great satisfaction from "If You Are the One".