Recovering schizophrenic Lok (Chun-Him Lau) longs for love, one day he meets and instantly falls in love with young and stunningly beautiful Yan (Cecelia Choi). Lok attends his group therapy sessions, so he can deal with his condition. During these sessions we learn that he thinks no one can love him and everyone will leave him eventually, if he tells them the truth about his mental health. After one such session he decides to tell Yan about his schizophrenia. Before he does he has a relapse and slips into his delusions. Little does he know that Yan is a psychological counsellor who has an agenda of her own. The pair develop a strong and powerful relationship, but can it go beyond their dreams. Can their love for each other go beyond Lok`s delusions? Has Yan really developed true feelings for Lok?
Written and directed by Kiwi Chow, based on his award winning short film Upstairs. Beyond the Dream is a very well-crafted love story. It is an engaging study into the human need for love. Featuring two wonderful performances from both leads Chun- Him Lau and Cecelia Choi, they`re both mesmerizing in their portrayal of two people who yearn for love… The scenes between them, whether it`s during the counselling sessions or the relapse Lok goes through at Yan's home. They have their own demons and deal with them every day. The journey they go through together, from the start to the end is so moving. You can't help but become emotionally attached involved with the characters. Yes I`m going to say it, the film contains the best acting I have seen in a film in a long time. The later scene the relapse of Lok, I had a tear rolling down my face. This is not only testament to the acting but of course the directing of the film. Everything from the editing to the sound just seamlessly comes together with a well written and intelligent script, accompanied with some stunning cinematography of Hong Kong.
When you watch it, you can clearly see why it was the most successful domestic film, in Hong Kong of 2020 at the box office. You can also see why it wan best adapted screenplay at the 57th Golden Horse Awards. Beyond the Dream is the rare and perfect romantic drama.
Check out Focus Hong Kong for details and Trailer https://focushk.chinesevisualfestival.org/film/beyond-the-dream/
