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I Remember review: A romance made possible by amnesia

I Remember stars Lee Hong-chi and Angelababy. (Movie still courtesy of Golden Village Pictures)
I Remember stars Lee Hong-chi and Angelababy. (Movie still courtesy of Golden Village Pictures)

Rating: PG
Length: 100 minutes
Director: Zhou Nan
Cast: Angelababy, Lee Hong-chi
Language: Mandarin with English and Chinese subtitles

Release date: 31 December 2020 (Singapore)

3 out of 5 stars

I Remember revolves around 30-year-old IT specialist Fei Li (Lee Hong-chi), who is regarded as the “tool man”. He appears when people need him for things such as fixing things and delivering mail, and makes himself scarce when he is not needed. People usually do not even remember his name, except for Zhao Ximan (Angelababy), a co-worker from the business department, whom he has a crush on. However, Fei Li keeps his feelings to himself and watches over Ximan secretly. In the process, he finds out Ximan is dating the boss of the company.

During the company trip to Finland, things go awry between Ximan and her secret boyfriend. The dejected Ximan ventures out into the snowy mountain but is later found unconscious amidst a terrible snowstorm. She wakes up the next day in the hospital and suffers from temporary amnesia. The doctor tells Fei Li that Ximan will lose her short-term memory for one day, and when tomorrow comes, she will not remember all that has happened today. Seeing this as a “once in an aurora” opportunity, Fei Li lies and makes Ximan believe that they are in a relationship.

I Remember stars Lee Hong-chi and Angelababy. (Movie still courtesy of Golden Village Pictures)
I Remember stars Lee Hong-chi and Angelababy. (Movie still courtesy of Golden Village Pictures)

Like a clichéd romance drama, one cannot help but feel that I Remember is like a modified version of the classic Cinderella story — when the clock strikes twelve, all the magic will disappear. But at least, Ximan was not made to be a naive and gullible woman, who easily believes the words of a stranger. In fact, she persistently questions Fei Li and have doubts about them being in love. Owing to the fact that Fei Li had observed Ximan a lot, he appears to know a lot about her, which eventually leads Ximan to trust Fei Li.

Apart from the plot, the film is actually set in Finland! As Fei Li and Ximan aim to complete a travel checklist within a day, they hop from place to place, including visiting Santa Claus, riding on sleighs, ice fishing and of course, catching the aurora. The amazing views and romantic vibes may even trigger your wanderlust, and make you add Finland to your next travel destination! That is, once travel can resume. Although it looks like a promotional video for Finland, I’m sure most of us would be more than happy to see some new scenery, especially during this coronavirus period.

One thing to note is that there is a scene after the first rolling credits. Honestly, it was disappointing when the story ended with an unsatisfying conclusion. The final scene saved the film a little, although the subtly happy ending could have been expanded with the full force of “and they lived happily ever after”. The plot is already clichéd, so why not just go all in?

I Remember is as romantic as it can get, although the ending may leave you feeling discontented. If you have time, stay back for the credits as some behind-the-scenes are shown alongside.