Cocktail

The melancholy Candy runs the Half Mortal, a trendy bar in Hong Kong. She hires Paul; Stella, a part-time employee who's a college student in psychology, trains him. He has a gift for mixing the perfect drink to fit each customer's emotional needs. His own emotions, however, are complex: his father, an alcoholic, has died recently; he's abandoned his studies; and, although he's likes Stella, he's a tyro with women and inarticulate with her. Is alcohol the key to happiness, as Paul wonders; does it simply change peoples' personality, as Stella thinks; or, is it just there, as Candy's business sense tells her? Can Paul and Stella blend into something smooth?

Directed by Herman Yau, Long Ching, Cocktail leans on a strong ensemble — Bobo Chan Man-Yuen, Chloe Chiu, Endy Chow — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 2006.