Fly Me to Polaris was one of the key movies last year to bring hope to the Hong Kong industry and suggest a future. The second movie of both director Jingle Ma (who made his name as a cinematographer) and its young stars, Cecilia Cheung (from Stephen Chiau's King of Comedy) and Taiwanese singer Richie Ren, it's basically a romantic tearjerker but is leavened by a sense of humour and playfulness which make the movie impressive.
Onion (Ren), a young man who is blind, falls in love with his nurse, Autumn Yu (Cheung). One day, Onion dies violently in a car accident but, en route to Heaven, he is granted five days more on earth on condition he doesn't reveal his identity. His first priority is to contact Autumn, but he can only do this under an alias, resulting in plenty of misunderstandings. As time runs out, and she is courted by a doctor (William So) in the same clinic, Onion has to reveal his love for her without breaking his contract with Heaven.
The theme of eternal love across physical barriers is very similar to, say, A Matter of Life and Death or Carousel, and was also explored in Japanese movie, Secret (showing in Udine). Despite being a newcomer, Cheung acts very naturally, generating a genuine sense of emotion between her and Ren which makes the movie powerful. The casting of fine actors such as Eric Tsang in smaller roles gives the film additional strength, and the glossy cinematography further contributes to its special feel. Get your hankies ready!
Ryan Law