Romancing in Thin Air


Celebrity romances are basically modern fairy tales, swapping out castles for press junkets, princes for movie stars and happily ever after for an obligatory producer’s credit. Romancing in Thin Air (2012) plays in the same space at Notting Hill, where fame is a roadblock to true love onscreen and off. It’s all very meta. And director Johnnie To takes things a step further with a movie within a movie third act that nudges his characters toward a make or break reunion.

After being dumped at the altar, mononymous superstar Michael (Louis Koo) flees to a secluded mountain resort hoping to escape inside a bottle. But Sue (Sammi Cheng) puts him to work as a replacement for her missing husband who disappeared in the nearby woods seven years earlier. Their meet-cute relationship continues along predictable lines, even after Michael discovers she’s a founding member of his fan club. But the ghost of her husband – and his celebrity obligations - keep their love affair from truly blossoming.

For a movie that relies so much on fate, coincidence and the illusion of celebrity, Romancing in Thin Air manages to stay surprisingly grounded. Both lead actors bring a convincing amount of emotional baggage, preventing the plot from floating off into pure fantasy. It’s messy in spots, but always endearing. Director Johnnie To knows his way around a romantic comedy, so it’s fun to watch him confidently toy with audience expectations, resisting the easy narrative choices, second guessing where things are headed and, ultimately, deliver the fairy tale ending we were all hoping for.

Radiance’s limited-edition Blu-ray includes a new audio commentary, visual essay on Johnnie To, extended behind the scenes footage, making-of featurette, new subtitles and liner notes

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