Theirs is a love without name in “Bound in Heaven,” when the connection between Xia You (Ni Ni) and Xu Zitai (Zhou You) is so primal that neither bother to introduce themselves to one another until after spending a night together. Details like these can seem besides the point in Huo Xin’s torrid adaptation of Li Xiuwen’s novel of the same name. Passion trumps all else, both in front and behind the camera, in an auspicious directorial debut from the veteran screenwriter, who sees a doomed romance as an opportunity for a spirited drama when its central duo lives each day like their last.
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Any day could well be for Xu, who knows the expiration date for the relationship will come sooner than later due to a terminal illness. As the humble owner of a noodle shop in Wuhan, getting treatment or even a proper diagnosis is out of reach. Naturally, he first meets Xia trying to make money, scalping tickets for a Faye Wong concert that she desperately wants to see. It doesn’t look like the start of a great affair when he barely acknowledges her on the street in front of the venue, but knowing its ins and outs, he couldn’t make a more romantic gesture than to find a proper spot where he can hoist her on his shoulders to look on.
A potentially mundane moment like this is one of the many that are achingly beautiful in the particular light Huo casts on them, demonstrating early and often an ability to express how everything can look just a bit different when you’re in love both. Working with cinematographer Piao Songri, the film has a visual energy to match its relentless pace as it covers a decade.
The imagery is as intense as the relationship. Scenes where Xu and Xiu speak to one another in quiet conspiratorial whispers are as lively as the ones in which they want to tear each other’s clothes off. The sex proves less vulnerable than Xiu’s meeting Xu’s family in rural China, a visit that isn’t warmly received by his parents.
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Xiu has a history she’d like to forget as well, only meeting Xiu after escaping the clutches of an abusive fiancé (Liao Fan). She can count on his return as surely as Xu can expect death is coming for him. It’s a strong enough incentive for the couple to live fearlessly in the time they have together, though the risks they take will probably make some wince when their extreme displays of affection can push “Bound in Heaven” into the outlandish. As with Blake Lively’s recent theatrical hit “It Ends With Us,” there’s a level of danger here that could be appealing, considering romance films are known to play things safe. But that includes a surprising amount of violence in Huo’s film, with Xiu’s relationship with her abusive fiancé, but also with Xu.
Leading with emotion, “Bound in Heaven” leaves its characters largely undefined by anything other than their class, as Xiu is caught between suitors that are rich and poor. But Ni and Zhou bring nuance to the parts and make for a captivating couple. Envisioning a romance with the verve of an action film, Huo, a frequent collaborator of Zhang Yang (“Shower”) and Stephen Chow (“Kung Fu Hustle”), pulls together different worlds beyond where its protagonists come from. While the results can be occasionally messy, more often than not the pairing brings out the best parts in one another.
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