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Review | Once Upon a Lie movie review: Irene Wan chases much younger man in unconvincing romance

Irene Wan plays a lovesick divorcee catfishing a much younger man, played by Bruce Hung, in a superficial film that lacks any chemistry

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Irene Wan in a still from Once Upon a Lie (category IIB, Mandarin, Cantonese), directed by Stanley Liu. Bruce Hung co-stars.

1.5/5 stars

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Irene Wan Pik-ha may have never come close to making the A-list of Hong Kong cinema, but the veteran actress could certainly never be faulted for not trying hard enough.

While most actresses would transition to play more mature characters as they age, Wan appears completely reluctant to let go of the sex appeal that was her calling card in the 1980s and ’90s. Indeed, she is not even ready to ditch her heavy make-up and sexy dresses on screen despite the fact she will turn 60 next year.

In the past decade, Wan has managed to stay visible through leading roles in films that were made by the studio Irene Production and skewed towards either portraying her as a major star (Love in Late Autumn, Lonely Eighteen) or reaffirming her attractiveness (The Fallen).

None of them were any good, however, and the same is true of Once Upon a Lie, a scenic but somewhat creepy romance that sees Wan’s character throw herself into the arms of an unsuspecting much younger man she also happens to be catfishing online.

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