The question of whether to choose love or a chance of fulfilling your dreams has been tormenting couples since the beginning of time, and Michael Wong deals with this theme by adding the concept of the promise in this multi awarded short.
In the film, we watch Wang Yuyang, a passionate man, trying to convince Chen Wen, the girl he loves, to be with him. The 90 coins of the title symbolize the ninety days he gives himself to convince the girl to marry him by showing her his true color and prove his intentions. His efforts are successful and the two fall in love. However, as everyday life hits their bubble of love quite hard, Chen Wen also comes across a chance to fulfill her dreams of going to Paris, which come hand in hand with another man, Andre. The ending of the film gives a definite answer to the question mentioned in the prologue.
Michael Wong directs a film that seems to say that love should be above all, that it is a sentiment that deserves all the chances, and that any other choice can just lead to regret. This, quite sentimental comment, goes hand to hand with the general atmosphere of the film, which can be described as dreamy and romantic, as implemented by the combination of Wei An's music and Liwei Jian's cinematography. Along with the “polished” production, the short film occasionally functions as an advertisement, in an element that is also heightened by Song Kaiyi's editing. The result, however, is very beautiful visually, while Michael Wong communicates his opinion quite well through the narrative, and retains the entertainment by also adding some minor elements of humor.
Dongjun Han as Wang Yuyang and Zhuang Zhiqi as Chen Wen portray their different feelings quite nicely, considering the time they have to do so.
“The Story of 90 Coins” is a beautiful film, and I would like to see Michael Wong shooting a romantic, mainstream feature, since he seems to have all the potential to do so.
