2012's top 10 cinematic sensations

Love in the Buff

The film is a sequel to the well-received 2010 romance Love in a Puff.

The young Hong Kong couple who fall in love during cigarette breaks split up in the sequel, and both move to Beijing to start anew.

If the first film conveys more of the feel of being in love than a genuine story about romance, the sequel deals with real clashes between lovers, such as cheating and ex issues. It also touches on the cultural differences that many Hong Kong people - like the two protagonists - face when they move to the mainland.

Director Pang Ho-chang effortlessly tells a lighthearted story that many young people, both in Hong Kong and on the mainland, can relate to.

Lost in Thailand

The film about three men's hilarious journey in Thailand has been a phenomenon. It has raked in 1 billion yuan ($160 million) since its Dec 12 premiere to become the most profitable domestic film ever.

The festive sentiment of the year-end season coupled with the graveness of the two films screened around the same time, Back to 1942 and The Last Supper, contributed to its success. But the more important reason the 30 million yuan film created such a stir is its solid storyline and the acting by three lead actors - Xu Zheng (also the director), Huang Bo and Wang Baoqiang.

The film has no action or special effects. But the three main characters - two urbanites living under pressure and one optimistic pancake maker - are easy for audiences to relate to. The jokes are closely connected to the plot and the characters' personalities.

The film is by no means a great comedy. But it is a rarely seen qualified genre film from China.