Shanghai Calling is a lighthearted
romantic comedy with an original premise. There are not many surprises within
the screenplay, but the genre doesn’t require there to be. All that is
necessary is the romance and a moderate amount of laugh-inducing jokes. Shanghai Calling never completely
delivers on either, but despite minimal romantic chemistry between cast members
and jokes which are lucky if they are mildly amusing, I found myself
entertained for the film’s 101 minute running time.
One of the
film’s more difficult storytelling techniques is the voice-over narrator which
opens and closes the film. It doesn’t quite fit, not to mention the jarring
feeling that the narrator’s return causes after being absent a majority of the
picture. The supporting character Awesome Wang (Geng Le) is the narrator,
telling the story of a New York attorney sent
to China Shanghai
The
fish-out-of-water narrative is given extra punch with a character everyone
assumes will fit in because of his appearance. Sam doesn’t speak the language,
but a blonde relocation specialist (Eliza Coupe) is able to despite her deceiving
looks. Their romance is meant to be at the center of the film, but whether it
is lacking chemistry or too many other sub-plots, this romance never seems
entirely believable. The film co-stars Bill Paxton and Alan Ruck.
The DVD includes
a behind-the-scenes featurette.
Entertainment Value:
7/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 5/10
Historical
Significance: 3/10
Disc Features: 4/10
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