Finding Mr. Right (2013) (DVD) (Hong Kong Version) DVD Region 3

Jiajia (Tang Wei) flies to Seattle alone to give birth to the child she has with her married lover. She is picked up by Frank (Wu Xiubo), a former Chinese doctor, and their relationship starts out rough. Backed by her lover's unlimited credit, Jiajia's sassy personality puts off everyone in the maternity house run by Mrs. Huang (Elaine Jin). Everything changes when Jiajia's lover is arrested for fraud, leaving Jiajia penniless. Discarding her luxury life, she transforms into an ordinary and approachable woman, and her feelings for Frank start to grow.

Credit must be given to Tang and Wu who spice up a typical foes-turned-lovers story. Who would have known that the Lust, Caution star can also rock a comedy? From the way Tang walks down the airport hall to the supercilious attitude she puts on, we can see how she successfully captures the vibe and spirit of a modern-day materialistic woman in China and transfers that to the big screen. As for Wu, he vividly brings a reserved yet loving character to life. He almost makes me believe that such a guy actually exists out there in America. Wu shows the breadth of his acting skills when he scoffs at Jiajia's idea to travel with his daughter without his permission, breaking away from Frank's yes-man image throughout the movie. The twists and turns in the movie are a bit clichéd but Tang and Wu's down-to-earth performances make everything believable.

Xue manages to add so many controversial social issues and values into the movie and blends them in so perfectly with the plot that viewers probably don't even realize that they're there. Though primarily targeting the Chinese market, the movie touches on sensitive issues in both China and America. Jiajia's baby boy, born with a green card, helps her win her lover, addressing the longing for an American visa and preference for boys over girls in China. The bankruptcy of Jiajia's husband due to fraud is also a loose reference to faulty business practices in China. Over in America, a set of harder-to-swallow values and problems also come rushing in: vitro fertilization, bisexuality, racial discrimination (when Mrs. Huang questions her daughter about her black boyfriend) and the lack of recognition of professionals from China. When Frank's medical career finally takes flight, he also gets together with Jiajia – an implication of the underlying values in the Chinese ideology of what makes a happy family.

Finding Mr. Right, as revealed by its Chinese title (literally, "Beijing meets Seattle"), is a tribute to Sleepless in Seattle. The performance of the cast outshines the story itself. However, Xue's careful efforts to shape the corrupt image of Beijing gold-diggers and to shed light on a handful of social problems are appreciated and, in fact, they are quite spot-on given that it is a commercial movie. With its ordinary storyline, it seems unlikely to remain a timeless piece like Sleepless in Seattle, but it is a lighthearted rom-com that's definitely worth a watch.