The season of love stories

Valentine's Day isn't just about florists and restaurateurs making a fast buck. It's also an opportunity for filmmakers to cash in with some love-themed productions. And starting from Wednesday, five such films will be released in local cinemas.

Romancing in Thin Air

Release date: February 8

Moviegoers may remember last year's Don't Go Breaking My Heart made by noted Hong Kong director Johnny To. The story concerned a woman (Gao Yuanyuan) being courted by two men (Louis Koo and Daniel Wu).

In Romancing in Thin Air, To has again teamed up with Koo who this time plays opposite Hong Kong actress Sammi Cheng. This love story takes place in Shangri-la, Yunnan Province.

Big film star Michael (Koo) arrives heart-broken at a hotel in Shangri-la hotel after being dumped at the altar by his bride-to-be. At the summit of a 3,800-meter high mountain, Michael meets the owner of the same hotel A Xiu (Cheng), who admits to being a big fan of his.

And in this idyllic setting romance unsurprisingly blossoms between the two. Everything is going swimmingly until one day A Xiu's long-lost husband unexpectedly shows up.

I Do

Release date: February 10

The film I Do explores one of the most heavily discussed topics today, that of sheng nü or "leftover women" (women in their late 20s or older and who are still single). Chinese mainland film star Li Bingbing plays Tang Weiwei who has a successful career.

Tang and her ex-boyfriend Wang Yang (Duan Yihong) have broken up after being together since university. Wang accused Tang of being unreasonable and of making too many demands on him, especially considering his modest income.

Years later Tang, who is still single and successful, meets a middle-aged man, Yang Nianhua (Sun Honglei).Although Tang develops a crush on Yang the fact that he isn't wealthy means that Tang doesn't seriously consider him as a potential husband.

Finally Wang Yang, who has unexpectedly become financially successful in life, comes back to court Tang.

Although the plot sounds similar to the first film in which two men court one woman, this movie also gives an interesting insight into the dilemma facing many Chinese women today - to marry for money or love?

Largo Winch II

Release date: February 12

Also known as The Burma Conspiracy, Largo Winch was released in 2008 and is a French film based on the Belgian comic of the same name. This sequel, Largo Winch II, resumes Largo Winch's adventures. Played by Tomer Sisley, Winch becomes involved in a romantic escapade with the character of Malunaï (played by Burmese actress Napakpapha Nakprasitte). When Largo Winch is appointed the CEO of W Group and decides to sell the group and establish a charity foundation, he is then unfairly accused of being involved with a massacre in Myanmar.

Director Jérôme Salle also helmed the original Largo Winch film, as well as Anthony Zimmer (2005) starring Sophie Marceau.

Love

Release date: February 14

Doze Niu, the film director known for the 2010 Taiwanese teen-gangster film Monga, is also behind the camera of Love. The plot follows the lives of eight people living in Beijing and Taipei, exploring the love not only between couples, but also friends and family members.

With a budget of 75 million yuan ($11.88 million), this chick flick stars Vicki Zhao and Hsu Chi as well as a new generation of actors including Ethan Ruan, Mark Chao (who both played leading roles in Monga) and Eddie Peng (who starred in Jump! Ashin last year). Niu, himself, also appears in the film, playing the role of a man going through a mid-life crisis.

Truth or Dare

Release date: February 14

How hard is it to find that special person? And how difficult is for us to believe someone when they utter the L-word to us? Directed by up-and-coming director Ma Zhiyu, Truth or Dare boasts a cast full of established stars, including Wen Zhang, Miao Pu, Qin Hailu, Lee Wei and Huang Weide.

The story concerns two eligible bachelors who hold separate parties in the same town where the partygoers play a game of "truth or dare."

At first, Xu Chengkang (Huang Weide) meets aspiring actress You Mei (Meng Li) during the game. Meanwhile across town, rich young man Wang Ben (Wen Zhang) meets and falls for taekwondo practitioner Tang Fei (Miao Pu).

However, it ultimately transpires that our protagonists are deceiving these women - but in very different ways.

It is obvious that this low-budget movie is desperate to reproduce the success of Love is Not Blind in 2011. With an investment of less than 10 million yuan, Love is Not Blind managed to recoup 300 million yuan at the box office, helping lead actor Wen Zhang to become an A-list actor overnight.