While the world’s languages and cultures may be different, love is a universal concept. Yet, with that comes a number of cliches that often appear in romance films regardless of the country they’re originally from.
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A perfect example of this is Fall in Love Like a Star, a Chinese romance drama about a pop musician named Su Xingyu who assigns his ex-girlfriend Tian Xin to be his new manager to spite her. Though, overtime, the two realize they still have feelings for each other. But, there are some interesting facts about this movie that are not immediately obvious to a Western audience.
The Film Had Four Writers Including The Director
Despite having a relatively simple premise, Fall in Love Like a Star had four screenwriters attached to it in total. This even included the film’s director Tony Chan.
As for the other writers, they are Yiliang Xu, Liying Lin, and Jia Yang. Credit-wise, they have only written Fall in Love Like a Star’s screenplay and nothing else. The exception is Jia, who has written for the Chinese TV series Yuan fang de jia (2018).
The Actress Who Played Mei Jie Was Part Of The National Theatre Company Of China
Almost every romance drama has an antagonist of some kind, and Fall in Love Like a Star is no exception. The main antagonist here is Mei Jie, who was the original manager for Su Xingyu before getting replaced by Tian Xin.
Though what’s more interesting is that Mei’s actress, Chen Shu, was originally in the National Theatre Company of China. Her notable performances include the company’s production of Jane Eyre in 2009.
Song Ming Is Played By An Actual Record Producer
Besides the main plot, there are several subplots in Fall in Love Like a Star’s story. One of those is Tian Xin trying to arrange a collaborative album between Su Xingyu and a record producer named Song Ming.
Ironically, the actor playing Song is an actual record producer named Tiger Hu, whose original stage name was Anson Hu. Since 2002, he’s produced eight studio albums in the Pop R&B Rock and Electronic music genres.
Su Xingyu’s Actor Was Originally A Musician
When it comes to celebrities in Asian countries, many of them either debut as musicians first and then actors, or both at the same time. The former was the case for Su Xingyu’s actor Li Yifeng, who originally did music before going into acting.
While Fall in Love Like a Star isn’t considered one of Li’s best films, he’s become mostly famous through his roles in Chinese television shows. Thus, the movie has biographical elements.
Tian Xin’s Actress Was Voted One Of The ‘New Four Dan’ Actresses Twice
Much like the Nation’s Little Sister title in South Korea, the New Four Dan title is given to actresses that are very popular in China. The term ‘Dan’ originates from a role in Peking Opera, where a male actor would portray a female lead.
For two years, Tian Xin’s actress Yang Mi has been declared one of the New Four Dan actresses. Particularly, for her roles in several Chinese fantasy romance television series.
The Director Did A Chinese Remake Of Bride Wars
It’s not uncommon for other countries to do remakes of American films with Bollywood being the most prolific. Even China has its fair share, such as the 2015 remake of Bride Wars, which was done by Fall in Love Like a Star’s director.
The remake even has Kate Hudson involved, who was one of the original 2009 film’s producers. While the plot is basically the same as the original, the remake was even more criticized.
The Original Chinese Title Of The Movie Is A Pun
Though Fall in Love Like a Star has a story that’s easy to understand whether one is Chinese or American, there are some elements that only a Chinese person would notice. For instance, the original Chinese title for the movie Peng ran xing dong is actually a pun.
According to Variety, the title translates to ‘Palpitating Star’ which plays on the ‘Heart throbbing with passion’ proverbial expression. Thus, it ties into the movie’s central conflict.
There Are Random English Words Spoken
Due to its widespread use, English is taught as a secondary language in most of the world’s countries. Nevertheless, it’s interesting to see English words spoken in a foreign film.
This happens in Fall in Love Like a Star, where the characters will occasionally say an English word amidst entire sentences in Chinese. Even some of the movie’s songs have English words thrown in them, including Su Xingyu’s apology album to Tian Xin Missing You.
A British Chef And Black Jazz Musician Briefly Appeared
Despite the famous examples of British and American actors starring in foreign films, it’s not a common occurrence. This especially applies to Asian movies, where it’s rare to see non-Asian characters in general.
Fall in Love Like a Star is one exception, where two minor characters briefly show up that are not Asian. Specifically, a British chef who yells at Su Xingyu during his two-year stay in England and a black jazz musician.
The Cosplay Scene Was A Reference To A Show The Two Leads Were In
Before the end credits roll, Fall in Love Like a Star has a scene where Su Xingyu and Tian Xin wear cosplay outfits to a party by mistake. While this last scene is amusing, there’s an underlying reference.
Particularly, to a show called Swords of Legends, which Fall in Love Like a Star’s leading actors Li Yifeng and Yang Mi starred in together. The show itself is about a young man wielding a cursed sword.