This review may contain spoilers
There’s something nostalgic about But Always. Because the main story is set in the ’90s, the moments the characters lived through felt strangely familiar. It's a simple love story about two childhood sweethearts falling in love again, and I really adored both the younger and older cast.
It’s been a while since I’ve watched anything with Nicholas Tse, so I was surprised—and really enjoyed—his performance here. I remember him from the early 2000s, where he often played the "bad boy" or characters with a tough attitude. But in this film, he plays a bit of a fool who’s just deeply in love and keeps searching for the girl he can’t forget—whether in Beijing or New York.
What I loved most was that she was always his choice. That consistency in his love is one of the main reasons I adored his character. The story moves quickly, but that’s pretty common in older movies, especially with so much packed into just an hour and a half. I also loved the timeline—it brought back a lot of historical memories, which made it feel like I was back in high school.
One thing I personally would’ve loved to see more of was stronger chemistry and emotional connection between the leads. But I get that with so much happening, it was easy for some moments to slip by. I also secretly hoped that he survived the Twin Towers crash—that maybe he was back in Beijing, waiting for her at their childhood spot.
Things I loved about this movie:
The attention to detail with the time changes. There’s something beautiful about showing how the world changes over time—like the street sign where they used to wait for the bus. It really made me miss the feeling of older films.
I already mentioned it, but I absolutely adored Nicholas’s character.
The ending, where it’s revealed that he was always there, even noticing her during her happiest time at the earthquake camp—that really got to me.
I’m giving this a 7/10 because it was genuinely nice to watch something that felt familiar.
It’s been a while since I’ve watched anything with Nicholas Tse, so I was surprised—and really enjoyed—his performance here. I remember him from the early 2000s, where he often played the "bad boy" or characters with a tough attitude. But in this film, he plays a bit of a fool who’s just deeply in love and keeps searching for the girl he can’t forget—whether in Beijing or New York.
What I loved most was that she was always his choice. That consistency in his love is one of the main reasons I adored his character. The story moves quickly, but that’s pretty common in older movies, especially with so much packed into just an hour and a half. I also loved the timeline—it brought back a lot of historical memories, which made it feel like I was back in high school.
One thing I personally would’ve loved to see more of was stronger chemistry and emotional connection between the leads. But I get that with so much happening, it was easy for some moments to slip by. I also secretly hoped that he survived the Twin Towers crash—that maybe he was back in Beijing, waiting for her at their childhood spot.
Things I loved about this movie:
The attention to detail with the time changes. There’s something beautiful about showing how the world changes over time—like the street sign where they used to wait for the bus. It really made me miss the feeling of older films.
I already mentioned it, but I absolutely adored Nicholas’s character.
The ending, where it’s revealed that he was always there, even noticing her during her happiest time at the earthquake camp—that really got to me.
I’m giving this a 7/10 because it was genuinely nice to watch something that felt familiar.
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