Byron Mann wanted to pursue a different world in romantic comedy with his new film “The Modelizer”

by Anushka Dakshit

Note: This interview was conducted and written before the SAG-AFTRA strike began

Film still from “The Modelizer” shot by Berton Chang

When the world of Hong Kong modelizers showed itself to Chinese American actor Byron Mann, he presented it to audiences the best way he could – in a romantic comedy.

“The Modelizer,” which Mann wrote, produced, and starred in, was inspired by a social circle that Mann didn’t know much about before he started talking to a friend he knew in Hong Kong who dated foreign models. Modelizers are wealthy people who habitually associate themselves with models, whether that be through having lavish yacht parties or fancy dinners.

A combination of “The Wolf of Wall Street” and “Crazy Rich Asians,” the movie follows Shawn Koo (played by Mann), the son of a Chinese tycoon family, and his best friend Narin (played by Thai American K-pop star Nichkun), who enjoy dating international models and partying. When Shawn starts falling for Camila (played by Rayssa Bratillieri), a Brazilian model unaccustomed to his lifestyle, he realizes that his money and privileged status are not enough to win her love.

After conversations with his friend, who in real life is a modelizer, Mann got to understand the world that his character lives in. “There were so many stories that kind of came out of this. Some funny, some romantic, some outrageous, and some crazy,” Mann said.

With lightheartedness from the clumsiness of finding an unforeseen connection, the movie finds a romantic comedy in a world most might not expect it to be in.

“No one has seen this world before,” Mann exclaimed. “In real life, it happens, so we’re just portraying what’s real life.” Mann has never seen these relationships on screen, so it was important to perfect the execution on camera.

Mann wrote the script by himself in two months, with occasional notes from director Keoni Waxman. “It’s always the hardest to start,” Mann said. “As you get going, it gets easier and easier.”

In writing the script, it was important for him to capture the essence of Hong Kong’s modelizer world. The film follows the symbiotic relationship between foreign models and modelizers – models can afford the expensive city by partying and associating with modelizers while modelizers navigate intergenerational wealth and the pressure of brandishing extravagant lifestyles for business and pleasure.

Film still from “The Modelizer” shot by Berton Chang

“In that world, money is really important,” Mann said. “For the first time, [Shawn] has to think, can he think about a relationship or approach a relationship without attaching money to it or using money as a way to get it or to pursue it?” This renders Shawn and leaves him in uncharted territory, resulting in an evolution the film explores, in which he finds the meaning of love along the way.

Filmed in December 2020, during the height of COVID-19, attaining locations was difficult, and Mann had to talk to his friends and people he knew in Hong Kong to lock down most of the shooting locations.

Since Mann grew up in Hong Kong, it was special for him to film there. The film’s scenic shots of Hong Kong city skylines and crowded, foggy neon nightclubs serve as a love letter to his city.

Mann, who is best known for roles like Ryu in “Street Fighter” and Wong Chau in “The Big Short” has mostly starred in action films throughout his career. “The Modelizer” finds that Mann can tackle both martial arts and humorous heartfelt performances.

But he didn’t start with the intention of trying something different in writing a romantic comedy.

“It wasn’t like I was like, ‘Man, I’ve done 10 action films, I’ve got to do a romantic comedy’,” Mann explained. “Once we find out what the world is, we just present it the best we can, which is a romantic story.” For Mann, the decision to take part in a project comes down to whether it’s a good and compelling story, regardless of genre.

“It's been a while since we've had a good romantic comedy,” Mann said. “It’s hard to make them.”

The craftsmanship in Mann’s favorite romantic comedies like “When Harry Met Sally” and “Notting Hill” is what he tried to infuse into “The Modelizer.”

“A lot of romantic comedies, they do the drum roll to try to make you laugh, or try to turn on the music to make you cry,” Mann said. “The Modelizer” doesn’t do this because audiences don’t need to be manipulated, Mann said.

Since human emotions are universal, Mann and the crew tried to present the story as it is, knowing that the audience would be smart enough to connect their own experiences with the sentimentalities of the film. Despite the film being set in a social scene that most aren’t familiar with, the complexities of fighting for connection and true love once one finds it strikes a chord regardless of experience or background.

The premiere was on July 10 in Los Angeles and while people laughed, Mann noticed that for the most part, people felt emotional about the film.

“It caught them by surprise, I think, which is fantastic,” Mann laughed.

“The Modelizer” was released in select theaters and video on demand on July 14. Mann hopes that audiences come out of “The Modelizer” enjoying the love story, a story filled with love for Hong Kong and reformative romance.

“You’ll see that it’s a little bit different from other romantic comedies out there,” Mann expressed.