Love You 10,000 Years (愛你一萬年)

Love You 10,000 Years (愛你一萬年)
In “Love You 10,000 Years,” local heartthrob Vic Chou is hilarious while Japanese beauty Kato Youki is slightly over the top and amateurish in places. (Courtesy of Arc Light Films)

A light-hearted spin on Taiwanese cinema, “Love You 10,000 Years” is created by Japanese director Toyo Kitamura (北村豐晴), starring Vic Chou (周渝民), Taiwan's answer to Tony Leung (梁朝偉).

Kitamura directs the film that co-stars Japanese beauty Kato Youki (加藤侑紀), whose undertaking of her first Mandarin-speaking role meant she received Chinese lessons in order to learn her lines.

This is an unusual romantic comedy and it will likely prove a hit amongst the teenage fans of its heartthrob local star Vic Chou and the romance that ensues between himself and Kato.

The story is a tale of two sides. A Japanese girl Sakurada decides to visit a foreign country with a friend after going through a painful break-up. They choose to visit Taiwan for a few months and soon after arriving she chances upon a local rock band led by Wu Qifeng (Chou). The pair is an unlikely couple as there is an unpleasant chemistry in the air due to Sakurada's despising of Wu's disheveled, yet, striking looks. That and a low tolerance to alcohol results in a less-than romantic first meet as she crashes the bands' gig in her own dramatic performance.

Later on, they run into each other again, but this time there's nowhere to run; they're stuck on a bus together. They discover the softer side of each other through a fight and a bicycle ride. Soon comes the realization that Wu, having never dated anyone for longer than three months, could be an ideal match for Sakurada, who only has 3 months in the country. It might seem like destiny is at play here, but they are total opposites in reality.

Here Wu is seen with a decadent, unkempt appearance, unlike Chou's usually well-groomed look. This sets the stage for an altogether different impression from the way his fans know him best.

The film's theme song, of the same name, has been sung by many, but Chou offers a different vibe as he belts it out for all to hear while fashioning an outrageous pink suit and some ludicrous dance moves. Chou's performance is hilarious while Kato's is slightly over the top and amateurish in places.

The movie has a lot of humor and certainly an original style. Its zany game-show style actually works well for the film, on a weird level. Jokes aside, the satire is supported by an earnest thespian substance that keeps the audience grounded with the weight of a slightly serious undertone added into the ridiculous mixture.

Unfortunately this doesn't always have the desired result as it leaves a false air about the film, where we're not sure if what we're hearing is realistic or just put in place for comedy effect. As most of the humor is local, foreigners watching the film may find that some of the jokes go over their heads, and a few are also lost in translation. But this shouldn't necessarily put you off watching it, though it may help if you have knowledge of Taiwanese pop culture.

Comedy is the driving force of “Love You 10,000 Years” and an ideal movie for those wanting a little humor during the summer.

► Directed by Toyo Kitamura / With Vic Chou, Kato Youki, Huang Teng-hui and Born Li / Drama / Taiwan / 2010 / 108 min. / Mandarin with English and Chinese subtitles / ★★★☆☆ / Now Showing

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/movie/comedy/2010/08/06/267679/Love-You.htm