So, keeping that in mind, contain your shock while I tell you that I actually enjoyed Princess D. Oh, did I mention that one of the stars is none other than Hong Kong Film Net's favorite whipping boy, Edison Chen, and I still enjoyed it? Yeah, I know, your mind just got like totally blown, man.

Anyway, getting on to the actual review, in Princess D, Daniel Wu plays Joker, a computer geek who works for an internet games company. His current project is to come up with a female model for their new game, which he finds in Ling (Angelica Lee), a bartender from the wrong side of the tracks. But Joker's company wants to go with more of a Lara Croft-type, and so he quits, moving his offices into his dad's (Anthony Wong) dance studio.

Ling doesn't want to work for Joker at first, because she needs to keep bartending and selling drugs so she can support her family. But Joker's brother, Kid (Edison Chen), convinces her otherwise. As you might guess, Joker and Ling eventually fall for each other. However, as this is a Hong Kong production where things are often turned topsy-turvy, the question if they will live happily ever after is left up in the air until the final reel. Let's just say the final results might just have you reaching for a hanky.

Art-house favorite writer and director Sylvia Chang (along with her partner Alan Yuen) have, with Princess D, taken what should, for all intents and purposes, be your standard cutie teeny-bopper date movie material and made it into something compelling. Much attention was paid upon this film's release on its' use of CGI, which was state-of-the art for Hong Kong at the time.

The computer tweaking hasn't aged all that well, though, particularly when it comes to the end scenes which use a fully digitized version of Angelica Lee. It might have wowed people at the time, but, honestly, even the cheap games you can download on a Playstation 3 or Xbox 360 are capable of much better-looking and more convincing stuff nowadays.

Thankfully, Chang and Yuen keep most of the emphasis of Princess D on the characters, not flowery computer graphics. The movie's main strength comes from its' quieter moments, whether it's Ling and Joker's dad bonding over a cup of coffee, Joker attempting to play mahjong with Ling's mentally ill mother (Pat Ha), or Kid awkwardly trying to close the deal with his internet chat "girlfriend" in a seedy pay-by-the-hour motel.

Yes, that's right, Princess D is a movie where you actually don't want to punch Edison Chen. Sylvia Chang must be some kind of miracle worker. At the very least, she has enough smarts to not fall prey to many of the cliches of the genre, like having a slow-motion montage of footage playing while a Cantopop ballad blares in the background. And for that, I thank you, Ms. Chang.

If there is fault to be found with Princess D, it's in the fact that perhaps Chang and Yuen tried a bit too hard, and matters become a bit bloated as a result. While I enjoyed the supporting characters, after the film ends, one gets the feeling that the picture as a whole would have better served by concentrating more on Joker and Ling's relationship. Despite this, Princess D ultimately does succeed in what it sets out to do -- tell a tale of love and romance (and the sometimes resulting loss and despair) in the internet age -- and comes recommended not just for fans of romantic weepies, but for movies as a whole.

Notes: this review is based on the HK Mega Star DVD, which contains ten minutes of footage not seen in the theatrical cut. Also, there is a Japanese TV series called Princess Princess D that has no relation to this film.

At a disco one night Joker (Daniel Wu) spots a female bartender that he thinks might be the perfect model for his computer game project. Her name is Ling (Angelica Lee from The Eye) and after some consideration, she agrees to come on board the project. He sees the perfect woman that he wants to immortalize in CGI but Ling is far from perfect. Inside and on the homefront she has troubles of her own...

Even if Hong Kong cinema still is going through a crisis and the majority of films doing well at the box office are not very creative, there's still a good amount of compelling productions to be experienced. The directors I like have, for the most part, been able to do movies that offers new take on genres or featuring structures and touches that are very much their own. The latter description is more true of Princess-D, a minor pleasure in the way it certainly is romantic but mainly begins flying when that very theme suitably takes over.

The film is divided up into a few little sub-stories in a way that may or may not have an ending. Directors Sylvia Chang and Alan Yuan however do invest time and commitment in all of them, both from a directing and writing standpoint. Obviously it is the princess herself, Ling, & her Joker that gets most attention but I took a liking to the fact that the younger brother Kid (Edison Chen from Infernal Affairs) and the father (Anthony Wong) mattered as well. Especially in the fathers case there really isn't a story to tell but nonetheless he and Kid are supporting figures in Joker's life that in no way gets in the way of the film's narrative. Same applies to the people around Ling, the mother, the son and the father (who's played by the film's composer, Jonathan Lee). Other movies let supporting character just literally stand in the background but considering the running time (and maybe thanks to this extended dvd version), the directors manage to find a place in the movie for all these.

Up close we get to follow Ling's life but are never really given a clue as to where the story is heading. Will there be bloodshed? Will there be tears of joy or sadness? Very hard to tell and after the final scene has rolled by some answers that you expected, may not have come. The attentive viewer will probably understand it on some level and for me personally it was not a question of what had happened but if I WANTED it to happen. There are many things unsaid between characters and even in the movie, the outcome is a question in itself. That doesn't sound like a very compelling way to wrap up a story but it's a conscious choice by the directors that works nicely. The Chinese title is roughly translated to 'I fly' and those two words hold a lot of meaning, especially for Ling. Those words, which we're reminded of thanks to the Angelia Lee song on the soundtrack, firmly anchors the movie even though it never reaches very high. Mostly due to mixed roster of acting talent that obviously can't elevate a movie of complex themes to greater heights. Director Chang and Yuen seem well aware of that and set their sights only mildly high, making the movie decent in a very good way in the end.

The main story revolves around creating a computer generated character and it's no surprise that the movie feature a good dose of CGI. It's at it's most hyper and frenetic in the first meeting between Joker and Ling. It makes sense here that it borders on fantasy because he is under the influence of drugs which makes this sequence pretty effective. Small bursts of CGI are created throughout to show that's going on in people's minds and I really only objected one or two times to overexcessive use of effects. The demonstration of Princess-D towards the end is well put together though, reminding us that it means something beyond the CGI. The washed out and well-defined cinemtography Mark Lee (Visible Secret II) adds well to the atmosphere without intruding on the story.

The cast deserves good to fair remarks and looking at the list of actors beforehand, Daniel Wu and Edison Chen are the weak links here. Starting with Daniel, I can't say I never disliked him in a film. There's no doubt that currently his range isn't impressive as such but he's managed to perform adequately in the roles I've seen him in. Princess-D isn't truly dependent on him even if he really is the leading man and I don't think he's yet come to the point where he convincingly can carry a film. Joker is the big brother and grown up but being a graphics designer there is a bit of geekiness there as well. He is smarter than we think though, at least he knows to care for someone who needs it. Wu is not called upon to perform any big emotional scenes but with some good writing backing him up, he passes. That he has choosen non-commercial fare to appear in I really like so he's a believer in projects or not very hungry for box office success. Edison Chen is a newcomer (made his debut in Gen-Y Cops) and generally he's not very well liked by fans or critics...or me. If anything, he's well cast in Princess-D though. His youth character is unsure of himself and full of childish energy, something that is then handled nicely by Edison in the acting. I won't go out on a limb and say it's a great performance but saying he fits this role is more truthful.

Two other performers outshines these two though, the latter one barely registering 10 minutes of screentime. Angelica Lee is already a star in my eyes after seeing her in The Eye and now this. It was a scared and vulnerable woman she portrayed in The Eye and some of that is visible in the character of Ling also. Ling is a young woman being forced to take care of her own family when the mother, father or son can't. She's had to adapt a street smart and tough exterior but the vulnerable and sweet side is not far away. Being part of the Princess-D project is a chance for her to sort out her troubles but also to maybe clearly see her goals of flying away again, to regain hope. What's created in the computer may be fantasy but still a manifestation of her dreams. Definite heartbreaking touches are wonderfully brought out by Lee who never strays away from any of the character traits. A very level headed performance. Anthony Wong is in the movie enough to get himself an award and while not a big part, I love seeing him in this kind of film. He's so natural, relaxed and he makes acting look ridiculously simple. Pat Ha also logs a fine supporting performance as Ling's demented mother.

I started by mentioning a Bey Logan quote and I'll end with similar words from him as well: "Princess-D wasn't a masterpiece but far much better than the movies people went to see instead". I couldn't agree more and I'll add that directors Sylvia Chang and Alan Yuen aims moderately high and reaches it, which has to be seen as a positive thing. There is a romance at the heart of the film but by the end, Princess-D has suitably instead tranformed into a minor pleasure where a figure, both in fantasy, and reality finds an anchor and courage to fly.

The film's opening sets the tone for its unique visuals with a CGI sequence created by Joker (Daniel Wu) and his team of animators. They work for a large corporation aiming on creating a successful ‘cyber girl' that's just as good as the real thing. Joker, who believes that true beauty and charm is found in human imperfections, is at odds with the corporate powers-that-be who favor a flawless, fully contrived model. Joker's prominence, however, allows him a chance to prove a computer model based on a human is best. After a quick run home, where Joker's single father (Anthony Wong) teaches ballroom dancing, Joker finds the girl he is looking for in a rave. Ling (Sin Ji Lee) is a bartender who, at first, doesn't seem likely to give him the time of day. Ling sells drugs, to pay off debts, as we discover later, and during one transaction a couple of pills accidentally fall into Joker's drink. The next few minutes are a high stylized and breathtakingly beautiful sequence, twisted and exaggerated to phsycadelic extremes, that is one of the film's visual highs. It's obvious how strong an effect the drug has, and because of the disorientation it brings we are unsure how much of the scene actually occurs (it's actions are referenced later on as well). Through the help of his brother, Kid (Edison Chen), and some serious persistence, Joker convinces Ling to take the job of model for the project. She's scanned, and the first product is remarkable, but the corporation still doesn't want to give Joker his way, so he quits forming his own company. He and his team from the corporation form their own group for the game. The film continues in developing the relationship between Joker and Ling, Kid and his interest, and, to a limited extent, Anthony Wong's way of continuing without his wife. In the last half of the film, it weaves a story that mixes clichés with genuine unpredictability. You'll see something coming, but you won't see all of it, and even the most cliché of events are portrayed in such raw and honest natures that they are, perhaps, more effective than a dramatic twist would have been.

The film was directed (and written) by Sylvia Chang and Alan Yuen, but from what I can tell, Sylvia Chang is who we have to thank for most of the film's direction. Whoever is, in fact, responsible does a simply amazing job that deserves praise of the highest sort. The Director of Photography, Lee Ping Bing, captures each scene with an intense and gritty mix of colors and shadows that make the film exude modern Urbana, hardships, and love. What's most commendable about this film is that the truly great scenes are quiet and calm and handled with as much, if not more, intensity as the amazing visual sequences. Joker and Ling's first kiss, for instance, is handled rather calmly, but somehow Chang and Yuen make it, in its shadowy silence, the film's most powerful scene.

After Daniel Wu's disappointing role in Gen-X Cops, he's obviously matured as an actor. That, along with a far more realistic and interesting character, allow his performance as Joker to make up for his past sins. His performance is very subtle, but the viewer can always identify with him. As Joker's younger brother Kid, Edison Chen turns in a good caricature of an energetic and, though somewhat irritating, likeable sibling. As their father, Anthony Wong does a great job in the relatively little amount of screen time he is given. He's the father any son would love to have – supportive, never demanding, and truly caring. He's had loss of his own, so he can identify with Ling and forms an almost secondary father figure for her. As Ling, Sin Ji Lee steals the show. Her character is all at once energetic, seductive; innocent, manipulative; helpless, commanding; peaceful, tragic. Her character's life is a difficult one to live, and she portrays her emotions and tragedies in graceful way that is never heavy handed.

The score for the film far exceeds the normally low standards of Hong Kong cinema. From techno to Elvis, the music almost always compliments the mood and the other music. It's usage (and at times its absence) make the film more of an ‘experience' than a viewing.

If you think about Princess-D objectively, you miss out on how it is meant to be enjoyed. It's a film that is meant to be seen as an experience rather than broken down, and because it's an experience, it toys with your mind and emotions in a very skillful way. At the heart of Princess-D, it's a love story, but it has aspects that anyone who enjoys movies will find appealing. It's definitely a new direction in Hong Kong cinema, though at times it smells a little of the best aspects from Wong Kar Wai and the newly fashionable (and overdone) romantic comedies. If you're looking for a gorgeous piece of cinema that you can watch over and over again, Princess-D is for you.