Young people these days tend to marry far later than their parents did, while some don’t get married at all. There are many reasons, but most youngsters will tell you that getting hitched can get in the way of the pursuit of dreams.
This is the basic premise of “I Miss You”, a Chinese film that sees two sweethearts being torn over the future of their relationship.
Based on the novel “Wang Jinjin I Lost Twice” by Zheng Zhi, the big-screen adaptation follows Bai Xiaoyu (Tan Jianci) and Wang Jinjin (Zhang Jinyi), who have a chance encounter during their college entrance examinations.
Despite Bai being starstruck by Wang, they lose contact with each other and go their separate ways.
Four years later, fate brings them together once again, as the duo bond over a shared love for Edgar Allan Poe. Of course, the honeymoon period doesn’t last forever, and after another four years into their relationship, marriage becomes a prickly matter.
Bai wants to tie the knot, but Wang wants to continue pursuing her dreams and finds the idea of settling down, well, unsettling. Thus, an ultimate decision needs to be made and, sadly, heartbreak is on the cards.
The film’s greatest strength is its down-to-earth plot: unlike some other romances, it largely abstains from straying into fantasy, even if the way Bai and Wang meet does involve a certain amount of good luck and coincidence.
More importantly, the chemistry between actors Tan and Wang makes the interactions between their characters believable, whether they are arguing, exchanging kisses, or simply sitting in silence together.
Even the hardest of hearts will melt a little during sequences of their first year together, when the future seems bright with not a dark cloud on the horizon. For those who have experienced true love, these scenes will likely bring back memories, for better or for worse.
The conflict faced by Bai and Wang is one many will be familiar with. We all want different things in life, and if you’re not on the same page as your partner, it can tear apart even the strongest relationships.
To the film’s credit, neither Bai nor Wang is depicted to be in the wrong for wanting what they want. Their dreams and desires are legitimate, even as Wang privately confides in a friend: “One of us is going too fast, one of us is staying still.”
It hardly helps that the two come from vastly different backgrounds: Bai is fortunate to have had a happy childhood, while Wang comes from a broken and estranged family.
Like so many real-world couples, communication proves difficult, with each silently wanting the other to take the first step. At times, you feel like reaching into the screen and shaking them by the shoulders: “Talk to each other, dammit!”
This is made even more frustrating when you can clearly see there is love between the two.
If there is one true grievance, it’s that the ending of the movie may feel a bit fantastical after such a realistic portrayal of relationships.
Overall, though, “I Miss You” is a quiet film that doesn’t aim for greatness but still has a touching story to tell. It’s likely to be very relatable to young Malaysians, so give it a watch – just make sure you have a box of tissues on hand.
As of press time, ‘I Miss You’ is screening in cinemas nationwide.