Shanghai Calling
Shanghai Calling
Shanghai Calling is a 2012 American romantic comedy written and directed by Daniel Hsia. It stars Daniel Henney as Sam, Eliza Coupe as Amanda, and Bill Paxton as Donald. The film runs 98 minutes and is in English.
Plot
Sam is a successful New York lawyer of Chinese descent who must supervise his firm’s Shanghai office for three months to earn a promotion. In Shanghai, he meets local colleagues and American expatriates, including Amanda and Brad. He tries to help Marcus, the CEO of a big tech company, by drafting a fast leasing deal for a new smartphone. But trouble arises when a Chinese factory starts selling a similar phone. Sam discovers that the British lawyer working for Lin, the inventor, is fake. With help from Awesome Wang, a journalist/private investigator, Sam tracks down Lin and pushes to stop the factory.
It’s revealed that Marcus lied about the contract by forging the inventor’s signature. Powell & Davies urges Sam to forgive Marcus and return to New York, but Sam quits and starts his own law firm in Shanghai to represent Lin. Amanda and Sam grow closer, and Sam begins studying Chinese. He views Shanghai as a place of big opportunities for his career and life.
Awards
Daniel Henney won Best Actor at the 2012 Newport Beach Film Festival, and Daniel Hsia won Best New Director / Outstanding First Feature at the 2012 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 15:20 (CET).