If you close your eyes, Womens’ Curling sounds like porn. Did you know this? I did not. This little tidbit sold me on an otherwise blah Chinese version of My Best Friend’s Wedding, in which Angie (Xun Zhou) has suddenly decided decades-old-friend Marco (Xiaoming Huang) is suddenly a catch now that he’s been caught.
OK, lemme ask you this — you’re on a business trip. Some bouncy young thang sits next to you on the bus ride to the terminal. Deciding she’s tired, she starts sleeping on your shoulder, and awakens perky and bubbly and “forgetful.” How do you resist that? Luckily the Taiwanese terminal is roughly the length of The Great Wall, so Marco has plenty of time to enjoy Hailey (Sonia Sui). And if you imagine a man doesn’t enjoy a strange woman sleeping on his shoulder, you don’t know men.
Hailey is also a master of baby talk, which personally grates on my nerves, but, again, is a master masculinity manipulation method, methinks. Angie doesn’t baby talk. She also strikes Marco as manly. I don’t know Chinese sexual politics very well, but short hair and you don’t cover a yawn – that makes you a man, huh? Well, in a country where men outnumber women by 30 million, maybe it comes as no surprise you have trouble 
identifying one.
You would think, however, that would make the men try harder to find a woman. I always wonder why the awkward-but-hot babe wants the doof. “What is Marco’s endearing quality?” you might ask … When Angie fails to cover her yawn, he stuffs a tissue in her mouth. I really, really don’t understand Chinese sexual politics.
Anyway, the point to Women Who Flirt (Sa jiao nu ren zui hao ming) is Angie fights back with a team of professional strumpets giving her Cyrano-like flirting tips. 1) Date random guys to make him notice you – the guys turn out to be zeroes, of course. 2) Wear that sexy outfit – oops, wrong setting. 3) And never miss a moment to pout! This film is far more adorable than good. Then again, it’s kind of degrading to both genders. Angie clearly only wants Marco because he’s no longer single and Marco is a sucker for every giggle a woman has to offer. Just turn back to the Curling.
That guy who ain’t particularly witty
Ignores the friend he doesn’t find pretty
Want him to depart
That Taiwanese tart
Remember Shanghai ain’t just a city
Not Rated, 97 Minutes
D: Ho-Cheung Pang
W: Ho-Cheung Pang and Luk Yee-sum
Genre: My happy lucky joy best friend’s wedding
Type of person most likely to enjoy this film: Best friends who wish to be best partners
Type of person least likely to enjoy this film: Men with backbones
