The plot is pure cotton candy. Angelababy plays Ye Shancheng, a quirky, idealistic wedding planner who believes in grand romantic gestures. Li Xian plays Jiang Haode (a name that literally means “good man”), a pragmatic, busy doctor who has zero time for love’s “nonsense.”
After a series of meet-cutes (including a classic mistaken-identity elevator scene), Ye Shancheng bets she can make Jiang Haode fall in love with her within a month. The film then follows every rom-com trope in the book: playful dares, awkward dates, a sudden career opportunity abroad, and, of course, the obligatory airport chase.
What could have been a tasteless, one-joke movie instead becomes a sharp, warm study of our own prejudices.
Director Laurent Tirard (known for Little Nicholas and The Molière Impromptu) does something smart: He never lets the camera angle down on Alexandre. We don’t look down on him. The camera sits at his eye level. The world—car doors, countertops, other actors’ chins—adjusts awkwardly around him.
Jean Dujardin (yes, the Oscar-winning star of The Artist) plays Alexandre with zero self-pity. He’s not a sad sack. He’s confident, funny, fit, wealthy, and emotionally intelligent. The only thing "wrong" with him is the world’s reaction to him. When Diane finally admits her shallow panic, Alexandre responds not with anger, but with a devastatingly calm line: up for love 2016
“You didn’t run away because I’m short. You ran away because you’re afraid of what other people will think when they see you with me.”
Watch “Up for Love (2016)” if:
Skip it if:
Final Rating: ★★½ (2.5/5) – A perfectly fine, forgettable rom-com that shines only because of Li Xian’s budding charm. It’s the cinematic equivalent of a cupcake: sweet, enjoyable in the moment, but not very memorable an hour later. The plot is pure cotton candy
Did you mean a different “Up for Love” (e.g., the 2015 French film Un homme à la hauteur with Jean Dujardin)? Let me know, and I can write a post on that one as well!
The film was produced by China Film Group and was shot on location in China. The film's director, Jang Tae-yoo, is a South Korean filmmaker who has worked on several romantic comedies. Wu Jing and Zhang Ziyi are both well-known Chinese actors who have appeared in numerous films and television shows.
While the trailer might suggest a standard physical comedy, the film is surprisingly philosophical. It tackles:
The comedic moments, when they come, are organic. A scene where Alexandre has to climb onto a barstool is not a joke about his size, but a brilliant visual metaphor for the “climbing” he has to do to meet people halfway in society. “You didn’t run away because I’m short
Look, it isn't perfect. Angelababy is charming, but she is often criticized for relying on "wide eyes" to convey emotion. Also, if you are looking for deep, gritty realism, this isn't it. The side characters are mostly wallpaper, and the conflict is resolved so quickly you might blink and miss it.
In the vast ocean of romantic comedies, it is rare to find a film that genuinely challenges social prejudices while still making you laugh out loud. Enter "Up for Love" (original French title: Un homme à la hauteur), the 2016 gem directed by Laurent Tirard. Starring the luminous Jean Dujardin (of The Artist fame) and the brilliant Virginie Efira, this film takes a seemingly trivial physical characteristic—height—and turns it into a sprawling, intelligent conversation about self-worth, vanity, and the very nature of attraction.
If you are searching for a smart, feel-good movie that avoids cheap clichés, Up for Love 2016 is the hidden treasure you have been waiting for.
1. The "Anti-Kdrama" Pacing Let’s be honest: We love a love triangle, but sometimes you just want a couple to communicate. Up for Love is refreshingly free of noble idiocy. When Xiao Nai decides he wants Weiwei, there is no 10-episode will-they-won't-they. He just... goes for it. It’s direct, mature, and oddly satisfying.
2. Jing Boran’s Deadpan Swagger Xiao Nai is supposed to be impossibly cool, and Jing Boran nails the fine line between arrogant and adorable. He doesn't need to scream his love; he just shows up with a new computer for her or subtly destroys her ex's reputation. It’s low-key, high-impact romance.
3. The Visuals This film is pretty. The game world sequences are glossy and vibrant, but the real beauty is in the contrast. Watching two socially awkward geniuses try to hold hands in real life after being married in a game for months is surprisingly cinematic.