There is a double delight to this romantic comedy set in New York City and its surrounds. The characters are unusual and we get to see a view of the city from a foreigner's point of view, which provides some fresh insights.
I looked forward with great anticipation to Chow Yun-Fat in a romantic comedy. The actor has invested tough guy roles with huge amounts of charm, but while he is charming in An Autumn's Tale, there are unredeemable aspects to the character that make it hard to thoroughly enjoy the performance in this film.
When a young Chinese woman decides to come to New York to be with her boyfriend who is attending college, she discovers his female appetites are widespread. She winds up staying in an apartment above her cousin, a savvy Chinese immigrant who roams about Chinatown gambling and gamboling with nary a care in the world save where the next buck will come from. It's not long before the distant relatives make an emotional connection. The best romantic moments are gently comic, but there are also some bursts of violence that upset the harmony of this delicate tale of romance in New York.
There's nice chemistry between Chow Yun-Fat and Cherie Chung. You can believe in their emotional journey. Directed by Mabel Cheung, An Autumn's Tale moves at a natural pace and finds some interesting New York City settings.
Times Square connection.©Mega Star
This DVD import is a reasonable transfer. Much of the material is grainy, but I suspect that is the way it was shot. Colors are somewhat muted. The image is generally sharp enough. Most important, I was not disappointed in the quality and it did not impede the path to movie pleasure. The subtitles are encoded on the DVD tracks and removable. Therefore, there are no Chinese subs on the image: A big plus. The Dolby Digital 2-channel audio is adequate.