Lock Me Up, Tie Him Down (2014)

“It’s easy to find someone you love. But it’s hard to find someone who loves you.”

I truly enjoyed this movie. At first I thought it was going to be outright nonsense. A laugh here, a laugh there. Male lead is goofy with no real substance, and the FL with no backstory and just there to look pretty and dumb. But that’s what they want to fool you into thinking.

Also, there’s nothing forbidden or illicit (in terms of a relationship) between the ML and FL that makes them dislikable to the audience. They actually fit each other well, and the actors He Jiong and Vivian Hsu make a good team as they seem comfortable and at ease with each other. Vivian Hsu plays off of He Jiong’s humor perfectly.

Now back to the premise.

Tiffany and Huo Ke meet when he breaks into her house and tells her he’s kidnapped her husband. If she doesn’t give into Huo Ke’s demands, her husband is dead meat.

But the arrangement is still innocent enough, and Huo Ke doesn’t take this opportunity to take advantage of Tiffany. Rather it's to just be a husband to a decent woman who cooks and cleans for him. Meanwhile, Tiffany is thinking about the danger her husband may be in, and gets out her Sherlock Holmes’ cap, and goes sleuthing when she has the chance to escape unnoticed. Eventually she figures out that her husband isn’t locked up in Huo Ke’s bathroom, getting ready to be fried in the bathtub… Tiffany is confused.

Regardless, she still plays wife to Huo Ke, and later finds out that their meeting wasn’t as strangers…rather, she and Huo Ke are old friends…

I could spoil more. But I don’t want to. Just know that the movie is heartwarming, and maybe you’ll have to rewatch in order to see what you didn’t notice the first time. Take for example, when they’re sitting on the couch and she’s telling him about “Amour Island”, they’re sitting so casually on the couch together, his head resting on her shoulder (mimicking the movie poster). It’s only when they notice this that they scoot away from each other. Or when Tiffany walks out to greet Huo Ke’s friends (while the song “Yumeji’s Theme” plays) to serve them drinks, and how Huo Ke smiles at her with admiration and a knowing glint in his eye (as though he knows a secret he’s only told himself). Another thing to pay attention to is at the beginning, right when the narration begins.

The supporting cast is good too. The nosy neighbor and son are hilarious, and the annoying police officer who just wants that promotion is pretty great. Wang Xumo Bing plays a great conniving, evil, manipulative, and some-what charming husband to Tiffany/Vivian Hsu (and he gets what he deserves in the end). Also, a young KUN is so sweet to see here. He was so young in this movie.

In the end, with enough patience and curiosity, you’ll realize that the watch was worth it. When looking at other reviews online about “Lock Me Up…” a reviewer on WordPress mentioned that one of the lessons in the movie is about “knowing when it’s right to lie”. And Huo Ke had that right. Tiffany’s husband didn’t.

Recommend 10/10.

It’s stayed on my movie shelf forever ever sense. I watch it a couple times a year when I’m feeling sad.

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