The Seattle International Film Festival's video introduction to My Missing Valentine, the most recent Best Picture winner at Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards, specifically does not describe the movie's plot on the grounds it best be left as a surprise. Following that philosophy, here's a summary-free review of My Missing Valentine.
This fantasy rom-com is funny, original, visually creative, mostly weird in a good way, slightly weird in a creepy way and probably lighter than what you'd expect from the phrase "Best Picture winner," but it's an expert crowd pleaser nonetheless. If that's all you wish to know, watch it and read the rest of this review later. While this review will avoid major spoilers, it will discuss plot details from the first act of the film and allude to later plot developments.
My Missing Valentine is a romantic comedy about people with a strange relationship with time, but fortunately, this is not just Groundhog Day all over again. The protagonist, postal worker Yang Hsiao-Chi, has always been too fast at everything. She can't sing or dance in rhythm, she laughs at jokes before everyone else does and always misses connections. When she finally falls in love with a man, this happens absurdly fast too, as she's only known him a few days but is already making Valentine's Day plans and bragging about them on her favorite radio show, but then Valentine's Day just... disappears for Yang.
The process of solving this metaphysical mystery involves some magical assistance, connections to tragic pasts, a love triangle and a major perspective shift midway through the movie. The vibe is reminiscent of anime sci-fi love stories like Your Name and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, with clever special effects bringing a similarly freewheeling nature to the live-action setting.
My Missing Valentine has a lot of humor, heart and imagination. Its biggest flaw is one all too common for its genre: some of the big gestures intended to be romantic are actually pretty creepy. There's enough movie magic and genuine sweetness here that it's possible to go with the flow of it anyway, but everyone's tolerance for this stuff will vary. This issue aside, My Missing Valentine is highly successful as pure entertainment.
My Missing Valentine is streaming through April 18 at the Seattle International Film Festival. Directed by Chen Yu-hsun, the film stars Liu Kuan-Ting, Patty Lee, Duncan Chou and Joanne Missingham.