Tempting Heart () is a 1999 Hong Kong romantic drama film directed and co-written by Sylvia Chang. 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 hit and can still be frequently heard on the radio or at karaoke bars/boxes.

The success of Tempting Heart prompted director Johnnie To 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 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 divorcee, 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)
  • Karen Mok – Chen-Li
  • Sylvia Chang – Cheryl
  • Leon Dai – Ho-jun (middle age)
  • Elaine Jin – Sheo-rou's mom
  • Jo Kuk
  • Audrey Mak
  • William So – Screenwriter
  • Michael Tong
  • Cher Yeung

Awards and nominations

{| class="wikitable"

|+

!Awards

!Category

!Name

!Result

|-

| rowspan="5" | 36th Golden Horse Awards

|Golden Horse Award for Best Narrative Feature

|

|

|-

|Golden Horse Award for Best Supporting Actress

| Elaine Jin

|

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|Golden Horse Award for Best Cinematography

| Mark Lee Ping-bing

|

|-

|Best Makeup & Costume Design

| Yee Chung-man

|

|-

|Golden Horse Award for Best Leading Actress

| rowspan="2" | Gigi Leung

|

|-

| rowspan="2" |Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award

|Best Actress

|

|-

|Films of Merit

|

|

|-

| rowspan="3" |Golden Bauhinia Awards

| rowspan="2" |Best Supporting actress

| Elaine Jin

|

|-

| Karen Mok

|

|-

| Best Actress

| rowspan="2" | Gigi Leung

|

|-

| rowspan="6" |19th Hong Kong Film Awards

| Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress

|

|-

| Hong Kong Film Award for Best Director

| Sylvia Chang

|

|-

| Hong Kong Film Award for Best Screenplay

| Sylvia Chang、Cat Kwan

|

|-

| Hong Kong Film Award for Best Supporting Actress

| Elaine Jin

|

|-

| Hong Kong Film Award for Best Art Direction

| Man Lim Chung

|

|-

| Best Costume Make Up Design

| Yee Chung-man

|

|}

See also

  • List of Hong Kong films

References

  • HK Cinemagic entry