Yu shi shang tong ju

A film about the (2011) Chinese fashion industry is bound to have curiosity value at least - well no actually. There's one runway show that we don't get a good look at and magazine spreads that we never see are constantly being prepared. What we do get is a formulaic plot with a detour via JERRY MAGUIRE.

Vic Chou is a star of the Beijing fashion magazine industry (we suppose they do have one) Designers fawn over him and they are going to send him to Milan this year. This is a bit much for his boss, veteran Alan Tam (ARMOR OF GOD) who fires him on a whim. Chou storms out asking his associates to join him in a new venture but only boyish cute Vivian Hsu will be in it.

He recruits a new team from under used workers and competes, losing to Tam until the inevitable up swing - dancing in the street follows.

There's one quite accomplished urban luxury montage early on, the selection of filming locales is often striking and the leads are a good looking couple who suggest potential that the film fails to use. For the rest the determined glossiness is just for show, not connected to any story elements.