WOMEN WHO FLIRT (Pang Ho-Cheung). Subtitled. 96 minutes. Now playing. For venues and times, see Movies. Rating: NN
Lessons on mastering the sexy #selfie are among the few delights in Women Who Flirt. That makes this energetic but derivative Chinese rom-com about as functional as a BuzzFeed list, which is certainly no worse than a lot of its Hollywood counterparts.
The charming Zhou Xun stars as Angie. The Julia Roberts character in this movie’s My Best Friend’s Wedding-type scenario, Angie is in love with Marco (Huang Xiao Ming), but he only sees her as a bro because apparently he’s an idiot. There’s nothing stereotypically masculine about the fetching, delicate Angie, so Marco’s perception of her is just another reason why his character is thoroughly insensible – not to mention bland.
Angie’s obsessive affection for him is just as unconvincing. When Marco finds himself a bubbly new girlfriend, Angie ups her flirtation game by taking some amusing classes on seduction from her friends.
The supporting cast, headed by Sie Yi-Lin as Angie’s naughty confidante May, help the monotonous and often imbecilic relationship material fly by, with funny lessons on how to text horny, mimic the sound of a kitten and, of course, prep for those aforementioned Tinder-ready selfies, where the intricate pout of the lips has never seemed so meaningful.