In the following days, Sam becomes acquainted with his Chinese subordinates Fang Fang and Guang, as well as members of the American expatriate community: Donald, a fast-food executive and president of the American Chamber of Commerce; Amanda, a relocation specialist who is fluent in Chinese; and Brad, an English teacher. Marcus and Sam meet with Lin, the owner of the Chinese factory, and his British lawyer. Directed by Daniel Hsia. A New York attorney is sent to Shanghai on business, where he finds himself in a legal mess that threatens his career. With no means of contacting Lin, Sam hires Awesome Wang, a journalist who works on the side as a private investigator. Movies. Daniel Henney won a Best Actor award at the 2012 Newport Beach Film Festival, and Daniel Hsia won a Best New Director / Outstanding First Feature Award at the 2012 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.[1][2]. Directed by Daniel Hsia. ", 'Shanghai Calling' review: Lives of expats, Eliza Coupe and Daniel Henney star in, "Shanghai Calling. Throughout there are jokes that feel like in-jokes, about Chinese customs and business practices, but viewers will catch on, just as a visitor might, and start to get the feel of things. Why hasn't there been a good 'SNL' movie in 20 years? | He has written introductions for a number of books, including Peter Cowie's "Joan Crawford: The Enduring Star" (2009). Drama. Eliza Coupe plays the woman he meets there, a relocation specialist and single mother who has made a new life for herself in Shanghai. As for the story, it's in some ways inevitable, but it has enough barbs and curves to keep it new. His latest book, a study of women in French cinema, is "The Beauty of the Real: What Hollywood Can Learn from Contemporary French Actresses. 'Excuse me, I'm speaking' shirts, and other hot VP debate... An upcoming nitrile glove shortage could be the next crisis. Release Calendar DVD & Blu-ray Releases Top Rated Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Showtimes & Tickets In Theaters Coming … However, Sam receives a phone call from Marcus, who is furious, having discovered that a Chinese factory is manufacturing and selling the same smartphone. Sam informs Marcus of the closing of Lin's factory, and offers to take the entire blame for Lin's actions, hoping to put the matter to rest. Shanghai Calling, despite its China-proud proselytizing, clearly still believes in American superiority where storytelling is concerned. Production Company: China Film Co., Ltd., Americatown LLC The cheery, cheesy Shanghai Calling trots out familiar plot lines and retread characters in a made-for-TV-style pastiche. Furthermore, Sam discovers that the British lawyer was a fraud. 98 minutes.). Plot Keywords His bosses send him there because he's Chinese American, but he doesn't speak the language, has no interest in China and has barely ever left New York City. It's glossy and imposing, slightly cold and yet strangely attractive, too, and there are pedestrian plazas with lots of activity all around. With the help of a relocation specialist and her contacts, he soon learns to appreciate the wonders of Shanghai. Starring Daniel Henney and Eliza Coupe. He is the author of two books on pre-censorship Hollywood, "Complicated Women: Sex and Power in Pre-Code Hollywood" and "Dangerous Men: Pre-Code Hollywood and the Birth of the Modern Man." Sam has a tele-conference with the partners of Powell & Davies, who excoriate him and demand that he repair the situation. Taglines Through his eyes, we see today's Shanghai, which is super-modern because it's being built right now. Your guide to purchasing KN95 and NIOSH-approved N95 masks, These are the groceries that are cheaper to buy online. Mick LaSalle is The San Francisco Chronicle's movie critic. Geng Le as Awesome Wang, a journalist and private investigator. She's never been seen again. NEW YORK DAILY NEWS MOVIE CRITIC | Feb 14, 2013 at 11:43 AM . Parents Guide, Interracial Romance: Asian Male White Female. Sam also starts a relationship with Amanda and applies himself toward studying the Chinese language. Sam also comments, to Amanda, that he is impressed by Shanghai's rapid economic growth, and by the density of luxury-brands within the city which serves to reflect the changing times. But writer-director Daniel Hsia is very aware of this - and of the potentially decent fellow lurking inside this fellow, one who might just emerge once life slaps him hard enough. "Shanghai Calling" answers that by placing viewers on the ground and into the life there, specifically that of American expatriates who have relocated for business. A fish-out-of-water, he stumbles into a legal mess that could spell the end of his career. Both were books of the month on Turner Classic Movies and "Complicated Women" formed the basis of a TCM documentary in 2003, narrated by Jane Fonda. Synopsis Sam flies to Shanghai where he meets Marcus, the firm's most important client, who is CEO of a billion-dollar technology company. It looks like we don't have a Synopsis for this title yet. | Daniel Henney plays a hotshot young lawyer, verging on making partner - movies are never made about partners, but about lawyers wanting to become a partner - who is sent to Shanghai on an extended stay to put over a billion-dollar deal.