The Old Cinderella, which hit cinemas nationwide on March 7, aimed for a strong opening weekend at the box office to coincide with International Women's Day on Saturday, March 8. As the title suggests, the film is a chick flick, but one that makes a partial attempt to push the boundaries of the genre's conventions, at least by Chinese standards. It is both a celebration of female independence and a fairy tale for those who dream of being swept off their feet by Prince Charming; only, in this case, the Cinderella is "older." The eponymous heroine, Xu Ke (played by Aftershock's Zhang Jingchu), is not the naïve young girl at the heart of most fairy tales and chick flicks, but a divorcee with a 5-year-old son. In fact, Xu Ke is barely in her 30s, so one hopes that the title is a sly dig of the trope of the shengnü, which holds that an unmarried woman over the age of 27 is "leftover."

Xu Ke (Zhang Jingchu, center) is torn between two men, Liu Guangmang (Pan Yueming, left) and Kang Shengxi (Kenji Wu).

The romantic comedy opens with Xu Ke pretending to be calm as she makes her way to the local administrative affairs department to divorce her cheating husband Liu Guangmang (Pan Yueming). She feels that her life is on the verge of falling apart: born in the early 1980s, she is at an age traditionally considered too old to marry in China, not to mention that she has a son from a previous marriage. But through a series of coincidences, she meets a rich, handsome young man, Kang Shengxi (played by Taiwanese heartthrob Kenji Wu), who is attracted by her earnest and straightforward personality. At the same time, her ex-husband deeply regrets his philandering ways, and tries hard to win her back.

The love triangle in The Old Cinderella is like a combination of Chinese "ethical" TV dramas, which depict family trifles and conflicts, and South Korean soap operas, in which, more often than not, an ordinary girl, in the middle of a life crisis, is pursued by a handsome man who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

In this sense, the movie is both realistic and pure fantasy. When Xu Ke faces the unfaithfulness of her husband - a predicament many women have dealt with - she simply does her best to move on and live a better life. However, the story line with the too-good-to-be-true Kang is far-fetched; he falls in love with her practically at first sight, and there are so many unrealistic coincidences between the two.

Xu Ke burns a photo in front of ex-husband Liu Guangmang.

Zhang, who won Best Actress at the Cairo International Film Festival in 2006, delivers a charming performance as a smart, sympathetic person left desperate by her divorce and struggling to find happiness. Meanwhile, playing a timid, cowardly man who has lost his beloved wife through his own misbehavior, Pan, a recent divorcee himself, also gives a strong performance. Their once-happy marriage is told through a series of affecting flashbacks, which are the highlights of director Wu Bai's film.

However, despite its merits, The Old Cinderella is marred by an uneven plot and developments that cannot be explained. Unfortunately, the filmmakers did not seem to have faith that their target audience could enjoy a "chick flick" without a heavy dose of escapist fantasy.

A poster for The Old Cinderella Photos: CFP

Everyone's a critic

Niu Qingyun, 28, Shanghainese

Zhang Jingchu is my favorite actress. I love all the films she has starred in. Her performance in this film is, as always, excellent. I think she makes a breakthrough in The Old Cinderella. She is very good at playing a character who suffers a lot. But in this film, she not only portrays the character's struggle, but also shows her independence and wit, especially the ironic and sharp way she speaks. I was moved to tears when she sets fire to her old photos and sticks them on top of her birthday cake. I highly recommend this movie.

Yi Jian, 30, 2 years in Shanghai

The film is thought-provoking, and I appreciate its somewhat feminist angle. Although there are many illogical elements throughout, I was constantly amused by the punch lines, and happy to see the good-looking faces of Zhang Jingchu and Kenji Wu. We don't ask for too much from a weekend popcorn flick, right?

Hu Lanyu, 25, Shanghainese

It was much better than I thought, and actually could be considered one of the more well-made Chinese romantic comedies. The movie tells the story from a female perspective, which is tender and delicate. Though it is labeled a comedy - and it does have some sequences that made me laugh - there are still some heart-rending moments. It does reflect some realistic problems in our society. And personally I liked the ending very much, as it leaves room for the audience to guess and imagine. It is a choice between the past and future, love and responsibility, not only for the character, but also for the audience to ponder their own lives.