When her parents move back to Shanghai, young Weilong decides to stay in Hong Kong to finish school. She moves in with her aunt, Mrs Liang, who leads a shadowy but very affluent life. She is a central player in the world of Hong Kong’s pre-war beau monde. Innocent Weilong gradually falls under the influence of this environment full of rich ‘uncles’ and mysterious women. Against her better judgment, she falls for the charming George: a playboy who has no plans to work or settle down.
With her thoughtful, opulent style, helped by an ensemble of superb Chinese acting talent and Christopher Doyle’s camerawork, Ann Hui draws the viewer back into a lost age. But although Love After Love, based on a story by Eileen Chang, may look nostalgic, Hui also reveals the double standards and suffocating effect of love at a time when women had few options.