|
Review
by Kozo: |
Anita Yuen won her second
consecutive HK best actress award in this winning UFO film
from director Peter Chan Ho-Sun. Yuen plays Wing, a spritely
girl who idolizes singer Rose (Carina Lau) and Rose's producer/boyfriend
Sam Koo (Leslie Cheung). When the chance arises to meet her
idols, she jumps at the chance.
Unfortunately, that chance is an
open talent search for a male singer. Wing is so desperate
to meet the two that she masquerades as a boy to enter the
contest. In typical sitcom fashion, Wing wins despite not
having a whit of talent, and discovers that there's more to
Sam and Rose's relationship than she knew. It turns out the
two are dysfunctional lovers, each possibly loving themselves
more than the other.
Wing resolves to help her two idols
stay together, but the road is fraught with difficulties.
For one, Wing's sexuality comes into question. Since Wing
is so effeminate, everyone believes Wing to be gay. Of course,
Wing isn't gay; he's just a girl. Which makes it all the more
difficult when Sam finds himself attracted to Wing without
knowing that he is in fact a she, which must mean that Sam
is gay. Right?
The overly commercial setup leaves
itself open for all sorts of slapstick and poor gags, but
Peter Chan and his excellent cast handle the material extremely
well. The film has a glossy, Golden-Age of Hollywood feel,
and story manages to be affecting without being overbearing.
If the United Filmmakers Organization does anything well,
it would be their ability to handle comedy and drama in a
light, sophisticated way. Perhaps that's what makes their
films so accessible to western audiences; their films are
entertaining and involving without becoming cloying or given
to the usual HK hyperbole.
Of course, a great deal of the credit
should be given to the performances. Both Leslie Cheung and
Anita Yuen are terrific, and the rest of the cast (Eric Tsang,
Carina Lau and newcomer Jordan Chan) handle their roles effectively.
Yuen, in particular, deserves credit as she actually plays
a boy pretty convincingly, and manages to be endearing and
lovable at the same time. Probably one of the best examples
of Hong Kong commercial cinema that you could find. (Kozo
1995/1996) |
|
