Okinawa Rendez-vous (2000)
China Star Entertainment Group | One Hundred Years of Film Co. Limited. | People's Productions
Cast: Leslie Cheung, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Faye Wong, Gigi Lai, Stephanie Che, Vincent Kok,
Presenter: Charles Heung Writer: Gordon Chan, Chan Hing Ka Cinematographer: Cheng Siu Keung Art Director: Horace Ma Editor: Chan Ki Hop Administrative Producer: Tiffany Chen
Producer: Gordon Chan Executive Producer: Jimmy Law Director: Gordon Chan
Genre: Romance | Comedy Languages: Cantonese, English, Japanese Length: 98 minutes
"I told you life was unpredictable"
Even with lowered expectations, Okinawa Rendez-vous may leave some viewers scratching
their heads. Ace thief Jimmy Tong (Leslie Cheung) has just swiped Yakuza boss Ken Sato's
diary from the police evidence headquarters. But Sato (played by Masaya Kato) has lost
the cash he was gonna pay Tong with to his runaway Chinese girlfriend Jenny (Faye Wong).
On the lam, Jenny runs into three vacationing Hong Kong tourists- Dat (Tony Leung Ka Fai),
a delusional file clerk for the HK police, his girly girlfriend Sandy (Gigi Lai), and her recently
dumped best friend Cookie (Stephanie Che).
A series of coincidences leads all the main characters to cross paths, and hearts, in a confusing
and unconvincing love triangle (more like love hexagon). Tong dumps his Japanese girlfriend
just as Jenny dumped her Japanese boyfriend. But then Tong takes an interest in Jenny, who
is also fancied by Dat, who, by the way, is hoping to entrap Tong and his partner in crime
in a robbery scheme. Dat is so self absorbed that he loses his girlfriend to Sato, who
courted and proposed to Sandy while Dat was busy with Tong. Oh, and Dat also likes Jenny.
Okinawa Rendezvous never manages to suspend disbelief with its dizzying romantic plot-
not one of the relationships in the story sparks any kind of chemistry. The sea side locale,
completely filmed and set around Okinawa's Manza Beach Resort, is a welcome change of
scenery, but completely immaterial with regard to the story. It's supposed to be Japan,
but could just as easily pass for Puerto Rico.
The film plays with some artistic shots, a monologue by Tony Leung that disappears as soon
as it's introduced, music sequences (including numbers by Faye Wong and Leslie Cheung)
and subdued comedy; building to an anti-climactic finish that whimpers off the screen and
out of memory. Don't be taken in by Wing Shya's stylish poster- even in the capable
hands of producer, co-writer and director Gordon Chan, Okinawa Rendez-vous contains
a narrative that is sometimes funny, but doesn't add up to much.
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Notes: -A photo book and an original soundtrack were released in conjuction with the film.
-Gordon Chan has said in interviews that Okinawa Rendezvous was completed
from start to finish in 2 months, filming without a script.
Related viewing: Runaway (2001) Anthony Wong, Ruby Wong, Nick Cheung
Summer Holiday (2000) Richie Ren, Sammi Cheng, Vincent Kok
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