Love Will Tear Us Apart (2013)

In many Asian romances, we join budding couples as they struggle desperately just to be together. Conflict often looms beyond the pair itself, typically formed by unusual circumstance (think birth secrets, formidable in-laws, etc). After such hurdles are finally cleared, all that's left is a happy ending! But what happens once the battle is won and our heroes must face the travail of actually being in a relationship? Honestly, why all the focus on insurmountable odds at the beginning when merely staying together can be so hard?

Love Will Tear Us Apart, as you may have garnered, takes a more realistic approach to romance. Shirking the wild pattern of outward conflict, it favors internal failings instead (such as insecurity and thoughtlessness). We see the start of the relationship only briefly, spending most of the film after Liang Liang and Miao Miao are established as a couple. For those that find worry in this, have no fear; we step into their lives as strangers, just as they do with one another, slowly becoming comfortable as they do. The story motion, though somewhat unconventional at times, eventually lends the impression of a real couple. Overall, most aspects felt natural and modern, so viewers may even see uncanny wisps of their own relationships (past and present).

What I enjoyed most about this film was the evolution of its tone throughout. Despite bearing a dismal title, Love Will Tear Us Apart actually kicks off surprisingly cute and funny. Many scenes with the leads are especially so, having been built to make invest one in the love story. But things become heavier gradually as the plot rolls along, and the viewer (though still rooting for both parties) starts to see undeniable cracks in this relationship. Something about the atmosphere just works and (if empathetic like me) one may come away feeling as though one had lived through all the love and pain themselves.

Both halves of the couple perform well, exhibiting vibrant chemistry.

As the charming (if somewhat typical) Liang Liang, Feng Shao Feng retains every drop of his amazing screen presence. His expressive eyes lend much to his performance; every emotion is lent credence, and one can almost see what Liang Liang is thinking. Despite the fact this character can be somewhat careless, it's almost impossible not to like and understand him. Playing adorable yet insecure Miao Miao, we have Ni Ni as his lover. Her performance is strong in the same ways as her co-star, but I must applaud the natural and interesting motions she adopted. Caring about Miao Miao was a must, though her behavior cannot always be condoned.

For cinematography lovers, shots are clean and clear. Many take on the feeling of an independent film, with occasionally artful choices. Some sequences even stand out, such as two parallels (you'll know when you see them); otherwise, though, nothing is terribly innovative. I did appreciate the color palettes though, especially in darker scenes. Music is similarly suitable, though without much in the way of tremendous memorability. Tracks for pivotal scenes were rather good, that said.

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I would like to be with you...

Liang Liang met Miao Miao in the middle of the road, while she was escaping from a male friend. She just got into his car and asked him to drive her away. Liang was a good-hearted man and thought she was in some kind of trouble, so helped without asking why. They parted ways after that. But fate would let them meet again, in the course of work. How they fell in love was not clearly shown. The plot really started when they moved into a flat together.

The movie title already hinted that the couple would eventually breakup. But I had thought it would be due to miscommunications, insecurity and jealousy issues. Unfortunately no. Although it was not stated in the movie, I suspect Miao had OCD. At the start, when Liang was still staying alone, his flat was very messy. But when they moved in together, the flat was always clean and neat. And the way Miao rearranged his cigarette butts into a neat row, and obsessively cleaned the house when they quarreled, all these hint at OCD. OCD with anxiety management issues. Hence she had problem trusting Liang, and to get a sense of security, she would go to extreme measures to track Liang's movements.

Even if Liang had fewer ex-girlfriends, or had given truthful answers to her questions, all these really did not matter. She had OCD and would be a controlling girlfriend. It was only a matter of how bad the controlling would be. If he could have been more honest with her, maybe the controlling behavior wouldn't have gotten so bad.

Art direction, script and acting are good. But what is the theme of this movie? This is really unclear.... Is it about the regular issues that would breakup a relationship? Not exactly. Is it about how to love someone with OCD? Liang never made efforts to understand Miao's issues.

I would have really like this movie if Miao didn't get so extreme towards the end.

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