Love Contractually (2017) (DVD) (Hong Kong Version) DVD Region 3

Cheng stars as Katrina, the CEO of a fancy insurance company, known for her tough attitude and ruthless business practices. Despite being highly successful in her career, she has failed to find Mr. Right, and after splitting up with her cheat of a fiancée decides to find a sperm donor and have a baby by herself. Naturally wanting to find the ideal candidate, she enlists the help of her PA Weiwei (Feng Wenjuan) to track down a viable man through advertising for a new male assistant. Although things don’t go well at first, she takes on the promising-seeming Bo (Joseph Chang), a friendly courier who's at least willing to put up with her bossy ways. As it usually does, friction gives way to attraction, and the two slowly but surely fall for each other.

It should be pretty easy for viewers to tell whether they're likely to enjoy Love Contractually from the synopsis, and it's fair to say that the film doesn't stray from the well-trodden rom com path. Certainly, Liu Guonan doesn't seem to have had much in the way of ambition for his debut, sticking closely to the conventions of the genre and being entirely content to avoid any of the gender politics or social commentary that the slight premise might have been milked for. The patronising idea of a successful woman needing a man and a child to have truly 'made it' aside, the film is perfectly serviceable as a romance, comedy and melodrama, hitting all the right notes in vaguely charming, if utterly familiar fashion. Although predictable from start to finish, the film features a decent number of amusing gags, and the relationship between Katrina and is engaging enough to make things moving when it moves into more serious territory. Good production values help, and though wholly gratuitous, sequences shot in Paris do at least make for a globetrotting feel and some nice scenery.

Star power is the main attraction here, and Sammi Cheng is as fun to watch as ever lead role, even though the film has her on more subdued form than usual, and she manages to make Katrina sympathetic and somewhat likeable. Joseph Chang is similarly charismatic, playing the wacky guy to Cheng's straight girl, and the chemistry between the two papers over the cracks of their less than believable pairing. The supporting cast are all fine, and though none of their subplots really go anywhere or add much, Liu does at least try to work in a little extra drama here and there.

While Love Contractually doesn't stand out from the crowd in the least, and indeed is largely indistinguishable from other films of its type, Sammi Cheng fans and genre aficionados should find plenty to keep them entertained. The film marks a reasonably effective debut for Liu Guonan, though it has to be hoped that the director will try his hand at something a little more creative for his next outing.

by James Mudge - EasternKicks.com