I really liked this film…until the ending.
by Martin Hafer
Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong is a frustrating film. There is so much to like about it and I loved the film….until the ending. And, sadly, I am pretty sure most other folks will feel the same way about this movie that just debuted on DVD and which is also available from Netflix.
The story begins with Ruby (Jamie Chung) visiting Hong Kong and getting totally lost…which I heard is not at all difficult in this enormous and busy city. Fortunately, Josh (Bryan Greenberg) sees her plight and offers to help. After all, they both are Americans but he’s lived in this city for almost a decade. He even goes so far as to walk with her through the city and taking her to the place where she’s supposed to meet some friends. Seeing the two together, you can see that this couple is developing a real nice bit of chemistry. But there turns out to be a problem…he’s in a relationship. So, Ruby and Josh go their separate ways.
A year passes and although it’s highly unlikely, Josh notices Ruby on a ferry. He’s shocked as she was only visiting Hong Kong when they first met and soon he learns that Ruby was relocated here by her job….but she also will be returning to the States very soon. So, the pair decide to spend a bit of time together–just talking like a couple of friends. However, through the course of the evening, you can tell that the old chemistry is still there…but you also learn that both are now in relationships. This is tough as the pair seem to have really hit it off and it looks like a case of the right person but at the wrong time.
- Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong
- Directed by
Emily Ting - Cast
Jamie Chung, Bryan Greenberg, Richard Ng - Release Date
12 February 2016 - Martin’s Grade: C+
*****
I read an amusing review of this film on IMDB that complained that they hated the film because Chung and Greenberg had absolutely no chemistry together whatsoever. I sure thought they did…and it turns out that the couple actually got married (to each other) last year…around the same time they were working on the film. In fact, I think their interaction is what I loved about the film and they both did a terrific job of acting. But here is the huge problem and why I cannot score the movie any higher. While it’s clearly meant to be a romance, it lacks any sort of resolution to Ruby and Josh’s predicament…the film just ends! And, couples buying or renting the DVD will be expecting romance and a happy ending. Some genres you can fiddle with…but with a romance there is an implicit guarantee that there will be a happy ending….or at least some resolution. Instead, the film is sort of genre-less…and really does not work as a date night film. So what you have is a film with wonderful acting, some really neat camerawork (after all, they are walking about town through almost the entire movie), interesting characters and then…nothing. It’s a darn shame but that’s really all there is to it.
