The Longest Night in Shanghai (Chinese: 夜。上海) is a 2007 film produced by Japan's Movie Eye Entertainment and directed by Chinese director Zhang Yibai. It is a rare collaboration between China and Japan.

The film consists of a diverse cast. It stars Chinese actress Zhao Wei and Japanese actor Masahiro Motoki. Other members of the cast include Taiwanese actor Dylan Kuo, Hong Kong actor Sam Lee, and Japanese actress Naomi Nishida.^[1]

Cast

• Zhao Wei as Lin Xi
• Masahiro Motoki as Naoki Mizushima
• Naomi Nishida as Miho Takahashi
• Shinobu Otsuka as Rie Hara
• Naoto Takenaka as Taro Yamaoka
• Takashi Tsukamoto as Ryuichi Kwaguchi
• Toshihiro Wada as Atsushi Kayama
• Dylan Kuo as Dongdong
• Feng Li as Lin Xi's brother
• Ben Niu as Old taxi-driver
• Zhang Xinyi as Policewoman

Synopsis

Lin Xi's the struggling taxi driver who literally runs Naoki down in the street after he goes on a walkabout. Eager to placate the mysterious foreigner, Lin offers to chauffeur him around town, yet by the time she discovers Naoki has neither money nor any grasp of Chinese, he is captivated by watching her attempt to deal with her own personal problems. She should get him back home, but the phone calls keep coming in. He should get back to his hotel, but the strange bond he is forming with this woman (even though he barely understands a word she's saying) is the first thing in years to have him feeling alive.

Soundtracks

Firefly; Breathe (by Frally Hynes)

Reception

"Pic shuttlecocks between the corny and the involving, but Zhao's natural perf and Shanghai itself (always front and center, knitted into the action) keep things watchable." – Variety^[2]

Awards and nominations