''Tempting Heart'' ( zh, c=心動) is a 1999 Hong Kong

romantic drama Romance films involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion (emotion), passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their ...

film directed and co-written by

Sylvia Chang Sylvia Chang (born 21 July 1953) is a Taiwanese people, Taiwanese actress, singer, director, screenwriter, and producer. Early life Chang was born in Chiayi County, Chiayi, Taiwan. She dropped out of school when she was 16 and started her career ...

. It stars Takeshi Kaneshiro and Gigi Leung as a pair of onscreen lovers. The film has a notable theme song "Xin Dong", performed by Shino Lin Xiao Pei, which became a

radio Radio is the technology of communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 3 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitter connec ...

hit and can still be frequently heard on the radio or at

karaoke is a type of interactive entertainment system usually offered in nightclubs and bars, where people sing along to pre-recorded accompaniment using a microphone. Its musical content is an instrumental rendition of a well-known popular song. I ...

bars/boxes. The success of ''Tempting Heart'' prompted director

Johnnie To Johnnie To Kei-fung (born 22 April 1955) is a Hong Kong filmmaker. Popular in his native Hong Kong, To has also found acclaim overseas. Intensely prolific, To has made films in a variety of genres, though in the West he is best known for his H ...

to cast Kaneshiro and Leung in his 2003 film '' Turn Left Turn Right''.

Plot

Sylvia Chang plays a director who intends to make a romance film and begins to wonder about the role fate plays in relationships. She ends up re-examining her own first love in a completely different light. The story is set in two different periods of time, one in the 1970s where Gigi plays the teenage Xiao-rou, and the other in the 1990s where Sylvia plays the older Xiao-rou. Takeshi Kaneshiro plays the role of a shy teenager, Ho-jun, who falls in love with Xiao-rou (played by Gigi Leung). Their relationship turns intimate but faces fierce objections from their parents.

Karen Mok Karen Joy Morris (; born 2 June 1970), better known as Karen Mok, is a Hong Kong actress and singer. She is considered one of the leading East Asian pop singers and actresses with a career spanning three decades. Mok is the first female Hong Kong ...

plays Chen-li, Xiao-rou's best friend, whom Xiao-rou confides in. This teenage love soon fizzles out owing to misunderstandings and Ho-jun, after many years, turns to marry Chen-li. One day, Chen-li reveals that she is a lesbian and that they both love the same girl – Xiao-rou. Ho-jun meets Xiao-rou on a trip to Japan and upon knowing that Ho-jun is already married, Xiao-rou returns home and gets herself engaged. Ho-jun manages a last attempt to reunite with Xiao-rou by flying to Hong Kong and telling her that he is already a

divorce Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganising of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the M ...

e, but it is to no avail. Years later, Xiao-rou finds out that Ho-jun's wife was actually Chen-li. She discovers this only after Chen-li has died. Chen-li leaves a message for Xiao-rou asking her for forgiveness. As Xiao rou prepares to fly back to Hong Kong from Japan, she receives a present from Ho-jun. In the box were photographs, taken when Ho-jun was thinking about Xiao-rou and of their brief moments of happiness. It is only at the end of the film when it is tactfully revealed that the director Sylvia Chang was actually re-enacting her own teenage romance.

Cast

* Takeshi Kaneshiro – Ho-jun * Gigi Leung – Sheo-rou (Xiao-rou) *

– Chen-Li *

– Cheryl * Leon Dai – Ho-jun (middle age) * Elaine Jin – Sheo-rou's mom * Jo Kuk * Audrey Mak * William So – Screenwriter *

Michael Tong Michael Tong Man-lung (Chinese language, Chinese: 唐文龍; Cantonese Romanization: Tong Man Lung (Tang Wen Long); born 17 November 1969) is a Hong Kong actor. Filmography TV series *''Return of the Cuckoo'' (2000) *''The Kung Fu Master'' ( ...

* Cher Yeung

References

External links

*
HK Cinemagic entry
{{Sylvia Chang 1999 romantic drama films 1999 films Hong Kong LGBTQ-related films Lesbian-related films Self-reflexive films Films directed by Sylvia Chang 1990s Hong Kong films 1999 LGBTQ-related films Hong Kong romantic drama films LGBTQ-related romantic drama films

Plot

Cast

See also

References

External links