New York attorney Sam (Daniel Henney) is sent to Shanghai, where his assignment is to assist an American tech magnate in purchasing a new smartphone technology.
Sam’s of Chinese extraction himself, but he can barely manage “hello” in the language of his ancestors. The slender joke is that Sam’s American to his toenails, whereas the good-looking Midwestern blonde (Eliza Coupe) assisting him with his relocation speaks fluent Mandarin and has fallen in love with her Chinese home.
And so it goes with this romantic comedy, where each character or gag comes with a benign “gotcha.”
At its best, “Shanghai Calling” is mildly diverting; “China’s gonna be a great place once it’s finished,” remarks someone, referring to the city’s perpetual construction. Shanghai has been filmed with loving care, and there are a couple of amusing fantasy sequences. It’s a sharp setup — a rich American learns what it’s like to be steamrolled by unfettered capitalism — but the script cushions things completely.
In this Shanghai, there’s not a speck of dirt or pollution, there’s little political maneuvering, there isn’t even any red tape. The filmmakers clearly want to avoid pernicious Western myths about Shanghai, but this spanking-clean city of friendly young singles, high-rises, business innovation and swank clubs just seems too good to be true. They might as well have filmed in Atlanta.
Running time: 98 minutes. Rated PG-13 (adult situations). Opens Friday at the Quad, 13th Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues.