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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) |
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