I don’t think I’ve had a more varied introduction to a director than Johnnie To, but here we are. Don’t go breaking my heart had the makings of a good film and I was having a good time with it at first. I found Zixin and Qihong to be rather charming, and the pre/post financial crisis corporate setting was quite fun. You can also tell by the way it’s shot that you have a good director at the helm, with purposeful framing and thoughtful scene construction evident throughout.
Unfortunately, the CEO was such a terrible person that it’s hard to believe Zixin would even considering marrying him. He consistently abuses his power, forces himself upon her and behaves like an obnoxious narcissist. The film’s attempt to frame him as part of a genuine love triangle feels unconvincing and ultimately pulled me out of the narrative. The film also doesn’t do a very good job at conveying the passage of time through the character relationships, and this just make the story a little messy.
It’s a shame, as this film certainly had potential but ultimately fell a little flat for me.
I don’t think I’ve had a more varied introduction to a director than Johnnie To, but here we are. Don’t go breaking my heart had the makings of a good film and I was having a good time with it at first. I found Zixin and Qihong to be rather charming, and the pre/post financial crisis corporate setting was quite fun. You can also tell by the way it’s shot that you have a good director at the helm, with purposeful framing and thoughtful scene construction evident throughout.
Unfortunately, the CEO was such a terrible person that it’s hard to believe Zixin would even considering marrying him. He consistently abuses his power, forces himself upon her and behaves like an obnoxious narcissist. The film’s attempt to frame him as part of a genuine love triangle feels unconvincing and ultimately pulled me out of the narrative. The film also doesn’t do a very good job at conveying the passage of time through the character relationships, and this just make the story a little messy.
It’s a shame, as this film certainly had potential but ultimately fell a little flat for me.
