Mr. Zhao on AllMovie

Cinematographer Lu Yue made his directorial debut with this understated comedy-drama about marital infidelity in modern Shanghai. Philandering Shanghai medical professor Zhao Qiankun (Shi Jingming) is discovered in the apartment of his young, attractive mistress Tian (Chen Yinan) by his stunned middle-aged wife (Zhang Zhihua). Upon returning to his apartment, Zhao tries to appease his angry wife by vaguely promising that his extramarital relationship will soon be over. When he later learns that his mistress is pregnant, he promises that he will soon seek a divorce. Zhao's web of lies suddenly unravels when his wife secretly invites both him and his mistress to a restaurant. Tian eventually seeks an abortion, while Zhao finds himself on the receiving end of an angry tirade by Tian's obnoxious friend that eventually lands him in the hospital. The film won the prestigious Golden Leopard at the 1998 Locarno Film Festival.