Shenzhen movie fans, particularly the sentimental female ones, have a reason to be excited this month, as two romantic love stories hit the city's silver screens.

Waiting Alone, which will open Sept. 8, and Beautiful Shanghai, which will be in theaters from Sept. 15, are both set in Shanghai. The popular Taiwanese actress Joey Wong plays the leading role in Beautiful Shanghai, while the prominent mainland star Li Bingbing falls in love with another promising young actor Xia Yu in Waiting Alone.

Though Beautiful Shanghai boasts many big names, insiders feel that Waiting Alone will do well, on the back of enthusiastic performances from the young actors, a strong plot and great direction.

The director of Waiting Alone is Wu Shixian, famous for his accurate portrayal of human nature. The ambience of Shanghai is masterfully depicted in the film. The film shows the growing pains of a young man who is always dreaming about falling in love. While some humorous incidents centering around youngsters falling in love add some lively touches, the film also offers a lot of food for thought about the philosophy of life.

Having lived for years in Shanghai, the Beautiful Shanghai director Peng Xiaolian is no doubt cashing in on her unique understanding of the city in the movie. The movie is inspired by the ups and downs in the fortunes of a royal family, and emits a strong flavor of old Shanghai.

(Shenzhen Daily September 7, 2005)