Who's the Woman, Who's the Man (1996)



	Who's the Woman, Who's the Man		Return to Review Archive - W
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	Year:	1996	Leslie Cheung
	Director:	Peter Chan Ho-Sun
	Producer:	Peter Chan Ho-Sun
	Writer:	James Yuen Sai-Sang, Aubrey Lam Oi-Wah
	Cast:	Leslie Cheung Kwok-Wing, Anita Yuen Wing-Yee, Anita Mui Yim-Fong, Theresa Lee Yi-Hung, Jordan Chan Siu-Chun, Eric Tsang Chi-Wai, Carina Lau Ka-Ling, Emil Chow Wah-Kin, Wyman Wong Wai-Man, Andy Hui Chi-On, Moses Chan Ho, Ann Hui On-Wah, Edmond Leung Hon-Man
	The Skinny:	Sequel to the 1994 blockbuster is witty and entertaining, but also slightly muddled compared to the first. This isn't a bad movie at all, but sometimes they should leave hit movies alone.
	Review by Kozo:	This sequel to the immensely popular He’s a Woman, She’s a Man is entertaining but problematic. Picking up where we left off, Sam (Leslie Cheung) and Wing (Anita Yuen) move in together, but the problems start right after that. Once Wing becomes a hit (she pretended to be a male pop singer in the first flick), the public perception is that Sam and Wing are gay. This bothers Sam, who’s grousing about lack of space, freedom, and your usual single guy blessings. More problems arrive when androgynous star Fan-Fan (Anita Mui) shows up and romantically distracts the two of them. This hitch is worse for Wing ´cause she starts thinking she’s a switch hitter. Meanwhile, Wing’s pal Fish (Jordan Chan) tries to get Fan-Fan’s personal assistant O (Theresa Lee) in the sack, but to no avail. It turns out she’s a lesbian, bringing the whole film full circle in plot and theme. The magic of the first film is lost, but that may be a production value thing. Perhaps it was the rushed shooting schedule, but this film looks poor compared to the first film. Contrast is high, detail is startlingly harsh. The original film had a polished look that the sequel lacks. Also, it’s hard to pinpoint where the film's going. It sort of follows the first film’s construction, but it veers sharply as all the characters question their sexuality (except Sam, who went through that in the first movie). As a result, the bread-and-butter of romantic comedies (“Will they or won’t they?”) is forgotten and what’s left is far less beguiling than the original. Anita Yuen's performance is a bit troublesome this time out. Wing goes from charming in the first film to shrill and grating in this one, though she recovers nicely in hour two. Anita Mui gives a poignant performance, Jordan Chan and Theresa Lee are simply terrific, and Leslie Cheung dominates the movie with his performance. Worth a look, but make sure you see the first one. Despite my affection for all the characters in this movie, I sincerely hope that they do not make another one. (Kozo 1996)
	Theme song:	"Man With Intentions" by Leslie Cheung Request this song on HKVP Radio \| Vote for Leslie Cheung
	Awards:	16th Annual Hong Kong Film Awards • Nomination - Best Supporting Actress (Theresa Lee Yi-Hung) • Nomination - Best New Artist (Theresa Lee Yi-Hung) • Nomination - Best Art Direction (Yee Chung-Man) • Nomination - Best Costume Design (Dora Ng Lei-Lo) • Nomination - Best Original Song ("Yau Sum Yun", performed by Leslie Cheung Kwok-Wing and Anita Mui Yim-Fong)
	Availability:	DVD (Hong Kong) Region 0 NTSC Mei Ah Laser 16x9 Anamorphic Widescreen Cantonese and Mandarin Language Tracks Dolby Digital 5.1 Removable English and Chinese Subtitles
	Also see:	He's a Woman, She's a Man (1994)

		image courtesy of Mei Ah Laser Disc Co., Ltd.
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