Hong Kong’s Pang Ho-cheung continues his forays into romantic comedy with Women Who Flirt, a super-commercial confection unfolding in Shanghai and Taiwan. Front and centre is Shanghai girl Angie (Zhou Xun), who learns that colleague and long-time target of her affections Marco (Huang Xiaoming) has fallen for Taiwan pickup ace Hailey (Sonia Sui). Marco has been Angie’s close friend since university, and she even ditched her dreams of becoming a sculptor just to be with him, yet still he only sees her as one of the guys (“She’s a dude,” he says at regular intervals) and certainly not dating material.
Marco may be in the wrong, but Angie’s friends aren’t going to let Hailey damage the pride of Shanghai girls. Soon a “Barbie Army” assembles to drill Angie on the arts of the snare, sending her on dates with strangers and teaching her how to wrap fickle men around her little finger through flirty words and actions. When Angie later finds a reason for her and Marco to travel to Taiwan together, could those skills finally win his heart?
For his first fully mainland-backed production, Pang extends key flourishes of his earlier work in a vibrant, fast-moving package inspired by the book Everyone Loves a Tender Woman by Taiwan writer Loverman. As in Pang’s earlier films like Men Suddenly in Black and AV, the plot sees protagonists create a great mission out of minor affairs. Here the battle against the Taiwan pro becomes an urgent operation, code-named “Women Who Flirt” and with ever-so-serious lines like “We’re waging war, girl. Can’t play it safe.” The black humour, non-PC gags and oddball asides that regularly pepper Pang’s films meanwhile turn up too, like when Marco sheds light on the sexy side of a curling competition.
Production standards throughout Women Who Flirt are top notch, with the film benefiting from superb art direction, costuming and location choices in Shanghai and more scenic turns in Taiwan, all gorgeously captured by cinematographer Jake Pollock. Perky flashbacks are served up with mini animations, and Alan Wong and Janet Yung’s score goes full orchestral at times. There’s even a dash of Morricone thrown in for added oomph in the film’s big standoff. The overall vibe is fresh and breezy, but Pang drops in occasional heavier moments too, including a visit to a sculpture exhibit with Angie sharing her torment via voiceover.
The zippy formula in Women Who Flirt heaps plenty on the shoulders of lead actress Zhou Xun, making the film a fine showcase for her comic talent. The actress goes from tomboy to awkward glamour girl, and charms through lively scenes of Angie parading outfits, honing her language skills and body language, and learning the standard repertoire for come-hither selfie snaps. Huang Xiaoming hams it up as a handsome and utterly tactless dolt in a fun diversion from his more serious screen roles of late, while Sonia Sui delights when her character deploys an arsenal of brazenly coquettish come-ons.
Women Who Flirt’s ultra-pop formula may hew to convention as its lead actresses wage war for Marco’s affections, but the performances and Pang’s typically high production values keep the entertainment riding high right up to a final feel-good coda.