Shanghai Calling

A nice movie
I stumbled across this movie while looking for something simple to veg out with. A fun movie with a good cast, an reasonably original plot and no gratuitous violence or sex. A good movie night movie

"It's time to get in touch with your culture ... by having sex with it!"
SHANGHAI CALLING (Writ./Dir. Daniel Hsia, 2012, 100 minutes) is one of those movies that causes me to ache with anger and resentment at the fact that we miss these gems in the first place. I cannot understand the wasted hard work, the talent, that essentially goes down the drain from lack of an audience for such films.

This jewel of a film, which should be seen by everyone, grossed just over $10,000 when it opened. That's right, this classic film grossed less than it costs to buy a crappy SUV.

Oscar-worthy all around, this is the story of gorgeous corporate lawyer Sam Chou (Daniel Henney), a Chinese-American who is tapped to go to Shanghai by his firm. Since he is of Chinese descent - though 100% American - his firm thinks he'll be more effective. The odious task on which he embarks will not only warm your heart, it will open your eyes about Sino-American business practices.

Arriving in Shanghai, Sam quickly learns that the American "expat" community...

Light Airy Escapade with some valuable insights about 'ex-pats'
SHANGHAI CALLING may not light any fires of excitement in filmdom but it is a successful dual country effort to quash some misconceptions about China and the US and the news we hear daily. And if it were for that alone it would be worth an evening's outing, but graced by a really top notch cast of fresh actors not well known - yet - it becomes a tender little romp set in the spectacular beauty of Shanghai!

The story is a predictable one:a young handsome Chinese American Lawyer (a very fine young actor hunk Daniel Henney) who was born in America and speaks no Chinese at all is sent by his major law firm in New York to gain access into the big business happening in Shanghai - home of the manufacturers who make everything used in this country it seems! Once in China he encounters Chinese customs of which he is ignorant, a language he does not understand, an ex-pat mayor of Americatown (Bill Paxton), a beautiful single mom (Eliza Coupe, another one to watch) who has moved...

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