A Tale of Love, But One-Sided, In 12 Vignettes

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A Tale of Love, But One-Sided, In 12 Vignettes

The Hong Kong film "12 Nights," directed by Audrey Lam and starring Cecilia Cheung, is worth watching as much for its interesting exploration of love as for Cheung's beauty.

In "12 Nights," she plays a woman who experiences the exhilaration and pain of first love. The actress also appears in "Paaran," a Korean movie expected to be released soon.

The film's title comes from Shakespeare's comedy, "Twelfth Night." The story, divided into 12 parts, depicts the stages of love between a man and a woman. Unlike "Romance," a controversial French film that claimed to be about a woman's sexual journey but was criticized for its gratuitous sex scenes, "12 Nights" focuses on the development of a relationship through several vignettes.

But it is similar to "Romance" since both films explore love that is not mutual - while the woman is committed and affectionate, the man is unemotional. Male viewers may not find this a complimentary portrayal.

"12 Nights" revolves around Jiny (Cheung), a woman in her 20s who has just entered the work force. After Jiny discovers her boyfriend is cheating on her, she has a chance encounter with Alan, who turns out to be her friend's lover, but she falls in love with him anyway.

The film follows their relationship and the various conflicts within it.

Alan, who seemed completely devoted to Jiny when they first met, gradually becomes more insensitive. Jiny, on the other hand, grows more attached to him and wants to believe her love is perfect. Through this tumultuous relationship, director Lam questions what love is.

The movie is playing in selected theaters in Korea.

by Park Jeong-ho

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