Michael Wong, a Malaysian filmmaker now based in Beijing, has made his directorial debut short film with The Story of 90 Coins, tells the story of a promise of love and happiness made by one passionate man toward a beautiful yet reluctant girl. In the story, the 90 coins represent the 90 days that the man gives himself to convince the girl to marry him, intentions that blossom to life as the two seemingly do fall for one another.

Unfortunately, it would seem that fantasy gives way to the mundane realities of life and the friction threatens to disrupt the potential of our young couple to survive the challenge.

What happens if we destroy that which has the potential in the long-term to make us the most happy?

Simple yet poetic in presentation, The Story of 90 Days benefits from a tremendous ensemble cast and the lush, magnificent lensing of D.P. Liwei Jian. The film's original music, by Wei An, strikes just the right romantic notes that sort of echo throughout the film. The film isn't an overly emotional film, choosing authenticity over histrionics. The film's power may not be fully realized until you've finished watching it and realize that you're still thinking about it.

The Story of 90 Days was shot on location in Beijing and has had some success on the festival circuit before its recent release via Vimeo and other online outlets. Wong picked up the Rising Star Award in the Foreign Film category at the Canada International Film Festival and the film has also picked up prizes at the London Film Awards, Los Angeles Cinefest, Vienna Independent Film Festival, and the Top Shorts Film Festival.

The Story of 90 Days tells a simple and straightforward story, yet does so with tremendous clarity and conviction. Romantic and hopeful, it's the kind of film you like watching on a challenging day because it'll remind you that there's always hope.

You can check out the film for yourself above and find out more about the film on its Facebook page linked to in the credits.

© Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic