Article by Lance Andre Lim
Edited by Regiena Siy
Which would you choose: to travel back in time or to travel to the future? Well, the film How Long Will I Love U shows you what it’s like for both.
Directed by Su Lun, the film first introduces the lead character, Gu Xiaojiao, a 31-year-old woman living in 2018, played by actress Tong Liya. She’s part of an online matchmaking service where she promises to marry the first person who is able to buy her a mansion. The film then shifts its focus on the male lead, Lu Ming, a 25-year-old man living in 1999, played by actor Lei Jiayin. He works as a property designer, and is also an upcoming property developer, struggling to find people to invest in his projects. Both Gu Xiaojiao and Lu Ming are notably having a difficult time in terms of acquiring stable income.
One night while the characters were asleep, their apartments suddenly merged together, and they ended up living in the same place and time. Even the door of their apartment merged into one as well but has two separate doorknobs. If Gu opens her doorknob, it leads to 2018, but if Lu opens his doorknob, it leads to 1999. The two venture into each other’s timelines and eventually get accustomed to each other (after endless bickering beforehand). They devise a plan to get rich by looking up the winning numbers for the 1999 lottery in 2018. This plan ultimately fails and any other attempts to cheat the universe have failed as well. It was at this point that Gu had started to develop feelings for Lu, especially after seeing that Lu in 2018 became a very successful and rich real estate tycoon. However, the Lu from 2018 is very different from the Lu in 1999, which makes Gu uneasy and conflicted about her feelings.
The onscreen chemistry between Liya and Jiayin was palpable and brought more life to the characters they portrayed. There was also a proper mix between the comedic and dramatic elements, which would surely keep the audience interested. The film made good use of colors when representing the specific time periods the characters were in; a somewhat beige filter for 1999 to depict the past, and a light blue filter for 2018 to depict the freshness of the present. Overall, the film has a well-developed storyline and most of the scenes were able to build towards a satisfying conclusion. The characters and their relationship would also leave a lasting impression on you. If you’re looking for a romantic-comedy film to make you laugh and cry, I highly recommend that you give this a watch.
