A love-yearning middle-aged man has turned out to be stronger than a group of ancient military strategists.

"If You Are the One", director Feng Xiaogang's latest comedy film about a middle-aged man's search for true love, has beat John Woo's historical war epic "Red Cliff" to dominate the Chinese box office of 2008, according to a recent report on China's radio, film and TV development.

The annual industrial review, released by the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television (SARFT), China's broadcasting watchdog, shows that "If You Are the One" tops the list with 325 million yuan (US$47.6 million). It narrowly outdid "Red Cliff", which ranked second with 321 million yuan.

"Red Cliff", about a well-known water battle in 208 A.D., made headlines last August for becoming the only Chinese-language film then to have passed the 300-million-yuan milestone.

Yet the thunder was soon stolen by "If You Are the One" in December, when the comedy leapt over the 300-million-yuan threshold in just a matter of 19 days after its release.

The SARFT report also shows that despite the growing influence of foreign films, domestic movies still enjoy a larger audience than imported blockbusters. Among the ten most bankable films of last year, seven are China-made or Chinese-foreign cooperation. They include "Painted Skin" (ranked 3rd), "CJ7" (4th), "The Forbidden Kingdom" (5th), "Kung Fu Dunk" (8th), and "Forever Enthralled" (9th). The foreign films on the list are "Kung Fu Panda" (6th), "Quantum of Solace" (7th), and "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor " (10th).

(CRI May 29, 2009)