LAST SONG FOR YOU (久別重逢) (2024)

SYNOPSIS: Jill Leung’s captivating debut, Last Song For You, is a soulful, time-bending ode to lost love, shared memories, and music’s healing power. Spanning Hong Kong and Japan, and evoking the nostalgic spirit of 1990s Hong Kong cinema, this supernatural romance stars Cantopop legend Ekin Cheng as faded pop star So Sing Wah, who reluctantly travels to Japan with Summer (Natalie Hsu), the daughter of his high school crush, to scatter her mother’s ashes. Unwittingly, their journey transcends distance and time itself. Through flashbacks featuring rising star Ian Chan (Mirror), youthful dreams and passions are revived in this swooningly lyrical heartbreaker about second chances, bittersweet longing, and timeless resonance.

MOVIE REVIEW:

Ekin Cheng, best known for his iconic roles in the Young and Dangerous franchise, Storm Riders and A Man Called Hero, has kept a relatively low profile in recent years. Yet with his trademark wavy, shoulder-length hair and effortless charm, he remains a magnetic presence in the romantic drama Last Song for You.

Cheng plays So Sing-wah, a washed-up Cantopop singer-songwriter who nearly dies from an overdose in the film’s opening scene. Creatively bankrupt, perpetually drunk and unable to deliver a new song for his client, So drifts aimlessly through life until Summer (Natalie Hsu), the daughter of his former muse, approaches him with a request. She asks him to accompany her on a trip to Japan to scatter her late mother’s ashes. Reluctantly, So agrees, only to uncover truths about Summer and her mother, Ha Man-huen (Cecilia Choi), that he never knew.

Written and directed by veteran screenwriter Jill Leung (Paradox, Ip Man 3), Last Song for You might just be the most romantic Hong Kong drama in decades. In tone and texture, it feels closer to a Korean or Taiwanese romance. Shot partly in Shikoku, Japan and on Hong Kong’s Cheung Chau island, the film’s visuals are soft, dreamlike, and almost ethereal thanks to Oliver Lau’s lush cinematography (Mama’s Affair, We Are Family).

Adding to this dreamlike quality is a subtle “magical” twist reminiscent of Jay Chou’s Secret or even The Lake House. Leung toys with the notion that So’s interactions with Summer may be figments of his fragile imagination. Yet the film flows so naturally between past and present that viewers are swept up in his emotional journey.

Ian Chan, a member of HK pop group MIRROR, plays the younger So, capturing the character’s early days as a songwriter. His story intertwines with Ha’s, who once tried to confess her love for him only for So to leave Hong Kong with his mother. A classic case of love missed by circumstance.

But Last Song for You is not merely about regret or midlife despair. Its heart lies in the question of “What if?” What if we had the chance to relive the past? What if it could teach us something about the present? While skeptics may dismiss the premise as sentimental fantasy, there is an undeniable poignancy in its message about love, memory, and second chances.

Performance-wise, Cheng delivers a subdued yet affecting turn as So, reminding audiences why he was once the face of an entire generation of Hong Kong cinema. Natalie Hsu (daughter of 80s actress Ann Bridgewater) brings both charm and emotional depth to Summer, while Ian Chan, though a bit stiff in parts, impresses in several musical sequences. Longtime Cheng collaborator Chan Kwong-wing provides a moving score and theme song that elevates the film’s emotional core.

Those expecting a straightforward time-travel romance may miss the point. While the film suffers from occasional pacing and tonal issues, Last Song for You ultimately succeeds as a tender, heartfelt drama—one that lingers well after the credits roll.

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Review by Linus Tee