'Herbal Tea' is proof, alongside a handful of other productions, that when Herman Yau puts aside his affection for grindhouse exploitation cinema, he is quite a sensitive director. His romantic comedy may not be a milestone in the genre, but as a relatively low-budget effort it works surprisingly well. Capturing a delightful vibe early on, 'Herbal Tea' ambles along very inoffensively and leaves a pleasing impression after its 90 minutes are finished.

Herman Yau understands how best to utilise a modest budget and how to make a simple rom-com work as well as one of the more star-studded affairs. Firstly, Yau's style is straight-forward, forgoing unnecessary sub-plots and the needless quirks that younger film-makers are so intent on using. This makes for a purposeful story where the simple progression from friends, to romance, to conflict to the inevitable happy ending can continue unencumbered.

The other notable strength of the film is its central relationship. Jordan Chan and Candy Lo are certainly not the two most photogenic of Hong Kong stars, but they enjoy a realistic chemistry on screen. Lo gives one of her better performances and she is finally given a character who is an appealing lead. Her somewhat androgynous looks are less emphasised here though there are a few comical references to them and she appears considerably more charming than in her many other supporting roles. Yau lets Lo and the under-appreciated Jordan Chan develop as a realistic couple on screen with Chan's wonderfully dozy hero coming across particularly well. Jordan wins the acting honours with another mixture of naivety, charm and eccentricity, showing once again what a positive influence he is on most productions that are fortunate enough to call on his talents.

There is nothing remarkable in Herman Yau's film, but as an enjoyable diversion it can't be faulted. It may be relatively incident free and not as prestigious as many of its contemporaries, yet this is still a film that earns mild commendation.

If you catch a whiff of critical acclaim coming from a Herman Yau movie, I'll go on record and say that it's very much worth investigating further. Uneven but with an extensive body of work that has generated noteworthy efforts (Killing End, Walk In, From The Queen To The Chief Executive, Taxi Hunter), Herbal Tea doesn't fit in with the greatest acclaim Yau has ever achieved but seeing as it's a quick romance genre entry, the results are somehow along the lines of noteworthy.

Often one to inject some form of satire or parody in his movies, Yau gives Herbal Tea time to examine the hardships a Hong Kong stuntman may face. True to form of real life stories, it's a profession not well paid or respected nor is the Hong Kong movie shoots glamorous in any way. Yau is venting a dissatisfaction somewhere in there but he rightly doesn't let any dark cloud hover over this pleasing comedy.

Missteps of Hong Kong movies over the last few years have been the neglecting of its own identity and I'm not talking about the lack of as much action cinema nowadays but the lack of a genuine Hong Kong atmosphere. For Yau, it seems awfully simple just to place his camera and crew right smack in the middle of urban Hong Kong but it lends itself to a rather charming atmosphere within this story (James Yuen's Crazy N' The City utilized the genuine Hong Kong streets to good affect as well). Some minor emphasis on declining economy, film geeks and their particular habits take center stage for a few moments, nothing again that makes any pessimism enter but of course, Herbal Tea goes the romance route expectedly primarily. Fairing well, not special overall.

Because no one will clearly see Herman Yau's film as a large budget, A-list star vehicle with a keen eye for originality but because Yau knows this, he focuses on making the little means as enjoyable as possible. Sure the supporting character gallery are eccentric and really aspects that could've been dropped (but the movie would be 20 minutes shorter), yet I give credit to Yau for not going all out surreal with his wacky humour compared to other rom/com's of today. Candy Lo's May is of course a perky energizer bunny (the only way Lo acts apparently), Dan the consummate movie fan trying to apply his very best even in Category III films and the herbal tea shop crew even has a youth character (Patrick Tang, also in Truth Or Dare: 6th Floor Rear Flat) who wants to be a sumo wrestler.

Part of that supporting gallery, Tang and also Spencer Lam do nothing but show up to be what may be perceived as crucial plot elements and to give comedic relief, yet they don't matter in the long run. But finally turning full on attention to May and Dan transforms Herbal Tea to a minor but charming pleasure. Yau, Simon Loui and Kalvin Lee got no genuine surprises up their sleeves concerning the romantic development but personally I liked the fact that there's a blurred line, an uncertainty between the characters whether or not they are developing into good friends or a couple. Yau subsequently also wisely utilizes Candy Lo's upbeat exterior as a plot element. I.e. as a cover for her true feelings and while Lo never does stand out, I've finally been charmed by her presence. Acting alongside the almost always likeable Jordan Chan doesn't hurt either. Newcomer Lily Lee (not to be confused with Shaw Brother's actress Lily Li) do not get a showcase but weak writing does. Played out first as a rather unsympathetic and deceitful better half of Dan's, Yau asks us to later sympathize with her apparent change of character but these are traits we are to assume have entered into her!

It adds on to an uneven experience but Herbal Tea deserves its share of kudos for delivering a pleasant time with main actors Candy Lo and Jordan Chan. Herman Yau ventures slightly into some worthwhile satire territory but ultimately delivers a romantic comedy like most others. Only standout aspect is that it's not as surreal and cloying as let's say Driving Miss Wealthy. Fluff it is however but occasionally, some better than average of that kind emerges and I'm glad it's Herman Yau behind it this time.