Tencent’s Mr and Mrs Chen 梅花红桃 certainly feels like a Mr and Mrs Smith-eque story set during the Republican period. The poster with Elvis Han Dongjun carrying a gun and Guan Xiaotong with a dagger gives off the feels of a slick spy drama. Now there seems to be a lot of spy or detective themed dramas set during the 40s. I guess the history of the period itself bodes well with whatever theories the screenwriters can dream up.
Of course the gorgeous fashion of this era all make for beautiful visuals as well. The drama’s production in fact tried very hard to nail down the retro elements of the time period, poring through thousands of photographs from architecture to hairstyles and fashion to ensure everything is realistic and accurate to the last detail. That means fashion plays a big role in visually conveying to viewers the timeless elegance of the period almost like art.
Mr and Mrs Chen Synopsis
Mr and Mrs Chen follows Guan Xiaotong’s Chen Jia Ping and Elvis Han’s Zuo Shuang Tao as our titular couple. Set in 1940’s Shanghai, the formerly engaged couple find themselves in a bind, after a botched assassination attempt forces them to pretend to be together in order to avoid the Japanese. To throw the Japanese off their scent, the two are forced to continue their little ruse and end up married for realz. Little did they know that they’re both operatives working for different organisations. Nonetheless, the two join forces to defeat a common enemy and in doing so, rekindle their old flame.
Mr and Mrs Chen also stars Tian Lei, Lu Zi Zhen, Jiang Yi, Wang Xiu Zhu, Liu Hai Kuan, Tan Kai, Zhang Meng, Zhao Yi Huan, Zhang Haotian and Zhao Fei.
Source: 1
