To coincide with the 10 year anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong from the British back into Chinese hands, a number of Hong Kong movies turned up to mark the occasion. Made to order or their own individual product remains to be seen after my gaze at the likes of Samson Chiu's Mr. Cinema and Barbara Wong's Wonder Women. Now however we take a look at what popped out out of the Milkyway camp! Hooked On You sees in-house regular Law Wing-Cheong having a go at a second solo feature after the thoughtful but ultimately unexceptional breast cancer comedy 2 Become 1. Having faith injected from the producing camp (hey look, there's Johnnie To!) and getting rom/com queen Miriam Yeung to commit again, Law does the ultimate good thing by ejecting the need of spicing up sincerity with a lot of 120db behaviour. Hooked On You is a success story therefore.

Doing the right thing by placing us in a reality that rarely strays, Law Wing-Cheong upgrades himself from 2 Become 1 by making an actual good, fluffy experience and his long term working relationship with Milkyway (among other things as editor) generates a skill and confidence that you need when embarking on any type of decision making for your particular genre film. For Hooked On You, we find characters demanded to make demands and decisions for themselves, preferably before the age of 30. Placing them amidst a real, bubbling environment easily related to (mainly the fish market with its many stalls), our two main subjects essayed with substance and likeability by Miriam Yeung and Eason Chan do not see eye to eye initially of course. In fact, in terms of how you achieve emotional payoff represents a difference of opinion between the two as well. She does try out types in order to find love and safety at the same time but possesses so much fright that she leaves hurt behind via her own fear. He advocates paying for sex as that gives life-pleasure enough to keep your head over water. You think they will change or not?

Hooked On You doesn't apologize for utilizing the 90 minute romantic comedy structure but does have a hell of a lot more to say rather than solely working with the boy meets girl-template. For one, it has a 10 year span, echoing actual reality for the working men and women. When running a business, you can't follow the same path forever but you got to upgrade, says the metropolitan surroundings. However when even the Fortune Market begin taking credit cards, they're seriously behind and Miu, rocking back and forth to find footing fits well alongside the desperate attempts mentioned. Miu manages to sacrifice quite a bit of herself and others in a rather fun send-up of the millennium bug that actually has the vendors believe it's a disease they need medicine for. And it's a pyramid scam too. Fun here turns to somber and sad without being cloying as director Law begins flirting with notions that Miu will have to sacrifice emotions for safety. But it's a challenging character in a way because she does reject the very likeable and sincere Fishman who wants the ideal, sincere life and wants to be an ideal husband. He's not scaring her in any way but audiences may be approaching a point of closure where these two ultimately will be separated despite being right for each other.

Law Wing-Cheong embraces his home grounds and embraces simplicity by never arguing he's making something out of the ordinary though. The backdrop of the last 10 years of bumpy Hong Kong history doesn't mean Hooked On You transforms into social commentary. Law settles correctly for minor satire and the evident theme of having goals yet coming to an understanding that you're not supposed to be crushed if you've not achieved them, only learned why turns out to be quite magical when he pushes for quiet passages and subtlety. By caring for the non-complex, simple fates of Miu and Fishman, he gets his actors to commit by communicating via age old, effective beats.

We care and Hooked On You reaches a logical point by the end that doesn't surprise but doesn't come out as expected either. Milkyway flicks of different genres have certainly done that as well but there's no Expect The Unexpected punishment handed out here. Law Wing-Cheong tracks back to seeds planted earlier and although the circle completed that means unification is on paper a rather worn choice, it's effective, uplifting and ultimately very competent. Law Wing-Cheong has now gone from making a 10 cent hamburger flick to somewhat akin to a full, easily digestible meal. Something very much needed and welcome in a Hong Kong cinema struggling to even work magic out of this simpleminded genre.

Director Law Wing Cheong and star Miriam Yeung reunite after last year's craven dramedy '2 Become 1' with a conventional rom-com. Yet, however seemingly predictable 'Hooked On You' appears to be, the execution of its premise and the performances of its two main stars makes this a very pleasant surprise. Director Law Wing Cheong may have struggled to inject gravitas or even mild interest in his previous work with Miriam Yeung, but here he shows some aptitude for the material on offer.

'Hooked On You' may offer a fairly ordinary concept, yet it does contain a few surprises therein, not least of which the unusual construction of the narrative. Telling the story through a decade that reflects the big changes throughout Hong Kong is an idea that would be expected of Samson Chiu or Riley Ip, two directors who have a skill of pulling nostalgic allusions to Hong Kong's past into the microcosm of the main storyline. It's no coincidence that Law Wing Cheong sets his film pre-handover then follows the respective changes Hong Kong went through during and after the landmark event in 1997. This adds poignancy to a familiar narrative while also offering a few sharper moments of observational comedy.

Any rom-com hoping to engage the audience has to have a lead couple with enough chemistry to make all of the predictable twists and turns believable and, more importantly perhaps, forgivable. Yeung and Chan have come a long way since their pairing in 'Frugal Game', both having refined their screen personalities over the years. Yeung may be perennially seen as the 'Girl-Next-Door' quirky, Meg Ryan-esque heroine, but she has enough charm in the role to make it seem invigorating each time. Meanwhile Eason Chan has developed as an actor due to some outstanding performances in films like 'Crazy N' The City' and the kudos he subsequently acquired can be appreciated with his ability to turn an initially loathsome character into someone the audience warms to later on. The director also interjects into their budding romance with a few surprises that lead up to a refreshingly different conclusion.

For every ten moribund rom-coms from Asia there are a few that are executed with enough aplomb to restore faith in a typically lazy genre. 'Hooked On You' is neither stars' best work, nevertheless it is a production with effective humour and a keen eye for the details of the decade it covers. '2 Become 1' may have besmirched Law Wing Cheong's name, but 'Hooked On You' is not only an indication of what he can do, it is also one of the better films of the admittedly sparse selection from Hong Kong this year.