But Always | 2.5/5

SINGAPORE - But Always is a love story about two childhood sweethearts Zhao Yongyuan (Nicholas Tse) and An Ran (Gao Yuan Yuan) who are kept apart by fate and mishaps. Set initially in 1970s Beijing, the movie follows the two characters as they meander through decades and continents, longing for each other. In other words, it is an opportunity for Gao to gaze mournfully out the window, with tears swirling in her eyes; and for Tse to practise his smoldering look.

The movie is beautifully shot by first-time Chinese director Snow Zou, and in some ways, carries the innocence and purity of a young story-teller. Romantic, nostalgic and even poetic at times, it carries that sense of longing for a simpler time, when love was pure, ardent and impossible to ignore.

Of course, it also helps when your lovers look as good as Tse and Gao, who do a solid job portraying young lovers who mature together as life brings them together and tears them apart. Tse visibly gains muscle mass as he ages – and, yes, young and older abdominal muscles do look different.

However, at the risk of sounding persnickety, too much romance can also put a damper on the story - just as some stories are just too good to be true. In a way, it is easy to simply sit back and enjoy the movie because there is so much beauty to take in. But I was too distracted - by scenes of An Ran waiting and crying in the rain; of Zhao Yongyuan staring dreamily in space; and panoramic shots of Manhattan - to feel really invested in the two lovers. Zhao Yongyuan and An Ran are also such almost flawless characters that there lacks a certain realism to their relationship, which is central to the plot of But Always.

Perhaps what this movie is trying to sell is the dream - of beauty, innocence and everlasting romance. Unfortunately, it is a dream that is far too distant to care for.

(PG13, 106 mins)