A Time to Love (film)

A Time to Love
Directed by	Huo Jianqi
Produced by	He Ping Han Sanping (e.p.) Yang Buting (e.p.)
Written by	Si Wu Zhang Renjie
Starring	Zhao Wei Lu Yi
Music by	Wang Xaofeng
Cinematography	Ming Sun
Editing by	Yang Tao
Distributed by	China Film Group Tokyo Theaters Company (Japan)
Release date(s)	China:January 18, 2005 (Changchun Film Festival) China:February 13, 2005 Hong Kong:March 26, 2005 (Hong Kong International Film Festival Japan:October 4, 2008
Running time	113 min.
Country	China
Language	Mandarin

A Time to Love (simplified Chinese: 情人结; traditional Chinese: 情人結; pinyin: Qĺngrén jié) is a 2005 film directed by Huo Jianqi. It stars Mainland actress Zhao Wei and actor Lu Yi.Based on a true story.

Cast

• Zhao Wei ... Qu Ran
• Lu Yi ... Hou Jia
• Song Xiaoying ... Hou Jia's mother
• Zhang Qian... Quran's father

Reception

The film received good reviews in China and overseas, most of praise is for leading actress Zhao Wei.

• Succulently lensed yarn about two childhood friends who finally get together well into adulthood is fairly standard Asian romantic fare—given luster (and an emotional wallop in the final scene) purely by Zhao's gamine personality. Tailored for, and released around, Valentine's Day in China—now an established marketing hook—pic will be savored best at Asiaphile events. -- Variety

• No doubt the most provoking formal element is Huo’s amazing imagery. Huo’s camera skilfully offers a variety of camera angles and compositions that make almost every image in the film easily frame-able. Similar to Christopher Doyle’s cinematography style, Hou’s colours are rich, his textures are emphasized and his mise-en-scene is intelligently used to provide frames....Chinese pop idols Vicki Zhao Wei and Lu Yi give exceptional performances, at times carrying the film during slower plot moments. Their emotions seem genuine and their dynamics as an onscreen couple are stunning. Vicki Zhao has a rare ability to emote the most succinct of feelings without making them too overtly dramatic, which again reinforces the subtle touch that the film cleverly displays through its imagery. Surely though, if you don’t enjoy their acting, then both Vicki Zhao Wei and Lu Yi provide enough eye-candy to keep the strictest of film critics satiated for the film’s 115 minutes running time. -- Heroic-Cinema.com
• Without a doubt, Vicki Zhao is the star of the film, and demonstrates that she can carry a movie when afforded the opportunity. She exhibits equal parts subtlety and innocence, and is the main reason the film works as well as it does. Yi Lu is average as the male lead, and pales in direct comparison to Zhao when it comes to screen presence. And while the parent characters are one-note caricatures, the blame should go to the screenwriters for not fleshing out any of the film’s secondary characters. -- Beyond Hollywood

Awards and nominations

Awards

• 8th Shanghai International Film Festival (2005)
  • Golden Cup, Best Actress — Zhao Wei
• 11th Huabiao Film Awards (2005)
  • Outstanding Actress — Zhao Wei
• 8th China Changchun Film Festival (2006)
  • Best Actress in a Leading Role — Zhao Wei,
  • Best Actress in a Supporting Role — Song Xiaoying

Nominations

• 8th Shanghai International Film Festival (2005)
  • Golden Cup, Best Film
• 11th Huabiao Film Awards (2005) :
  • Outstanding Picture
• 8th China Changchun Film Festival (2006)
  • Golden Deer
  • Best Director — Huo Jianqi
  • Best Actor in a Leading Role — Lu Yi
  • Best Actor in a Supporting Role — Zhang Qian
  • Best Cinematography — Sun Ming
• 25th Golden Rooster Awards (2005)
  • Best Supporting Actress — Song Xiaoying
  • Best Cinematography — Sun Ming
  • Best Art Direction — Cui Ren

External links

• A Time to Love at the Internet Movie Database