Playbill in HK (www.kowloonside.com)
Leo Ku (Ah Kei) and Shu Qi (Kiki) (www.ilovehkfilm.com)
Last night, I watched an old romance film from HK with Shu Qi and Leo Ku. Leo Ku is (Airplane Kei) who is a hard working man who believes that is you have a life plan and work hard you will have a good life. His girlfriend played by Anita Chan (June) is in Japan and he decides to visit her. There his best friend and buddy Sam (manga artist) whom he lent money to help him with his career is taking care of his girlfriend June of six years. Unbeknownst to him, emotions and feelings have evolved in his absence while working hard in China to save money so he can plan a future life with June.
While in Japan, after suffering from heartbreak as June chooses Sam over him, Kei spends time with aspiring model Kiki (played energetically by Shu Qi) who works at coffeeshop. Kiki has an undeniable energy that radiates to others who want to be around her as she is cheerful, exuberent and fun. She proclaims to help others and cheer them up so she asks Kei, to be her boyfriend for a day. Can feelings trump reason and rational? Can a person start to love someone within six months over someone they have been with for six years?
It was a pleasant way to pass some time plus I got to brush up on my Japanese. Sam's was the worst but Shu Qi's was not bad.
=================================
Directed by Dante LamProduced by Gordon Chan and Chan Hing-karStarring Leo Ku Kui-kei, Shu Kei, Sam Lee Chan-sam, Anita Chan and Eric Tsang
Designer Aeroplane Kei leaves Shenzhen to visit his girlfriend June (Chan) in Japan. Unknown to Kei (Ku), June has been swayed from him during her time living there - the thousands of kilometres between them, long-stalled communication, and the presence of best friend-turned-expat manga artist Sam (Lee) are parts of the reason. It all comes as a shock to Kei, who tries in earnest to get back the relationship. It's not working - despite Kei's warnings, a disappointed June sticks with Sam, who's attempting a free-for-all with the local girls. Kei, meanwhile, gets drawn to sprightly Taiwanese model/waitress KiKi (Shu Kei) who quickly becomes his confidant and muse. A self-proclaimed fixer of broken hearts and cure for all sadness, she asks to be Kei's girlfriend for 24 hrs before his departing flight. The condition is that she leads the way, and Kei accepts...
Once KiKi hits the screen, it's her film. Her constant energy highlights the restrained character of the protagonist and puts it into perspective against herself, Sam and June. If only for 24 hours, you start to see in Kei what June wants to get out of. And come the end of that day and beyond, much has changed in Kei - not just what he says, but how he handles himself and relates to others.
To make all this work, the Japan setting helps things further as all the expatriate characters are out of their natural home; distances, memories and differences all come into play. And the setting is used, rather than exploited, by the filmmakers to paint a very casual backdrop for the players with enough local quirks and comedy thrown in for measure. Out of Hong Kong, the actors look like they're still at home and all put in some sharp roles. Centred around Ku, all actors help build more depth to each other's characters than usually seen in Hong Kong fare. And Shu Kei is simply incredible. The film stays straightforward and pleasant while accompanying the clean visuals is a fruity soundtrack from the same folks (T2) who did the music for Beast Cops. Dante Lam and Gordon Chan prove they're not all cops, triads and gore with this remarkably gentle and insightful romantic movie.
===================================
(KOZO review on http://www.ilovehkfilm.com/)
From the guys who brought you Option Zero and Beast Cops comes this surprising romantic comedy. Leo Koo is Aeroplane Kei, an overly rational fellow who travels to Japan to see his girlfriend June (Anita Chan). He intends to surprise her, but the surprise is his. He finds out that she’s been unfaithful—and with his best friend Sam (Sam Lee), too. Heartbroken, he can only wallow in his selfish disappointment, reflecting upon what the breakup means to him. Kei finds himself hooked to Kiki (Shu Qi), a wannabe media star who hails from Taiwan. Kiki is basically one of those “magical girls,” who can light up dark moments and cure heartbreak. Kei is her toughest assignment, a thoroughly sensible human being who supplants emotion with reason—to the point of self-rationalization. Thankfully, Kiki is up to the task. She makes Kei a deal: for 24 hours, he’ll be her lover. It’s only through that arrangement that we learn more about the characters—and the more we learn, the better the film gets. Normally Chan Hing-Kai, Gordon Chan and Dante Lam use genre to disguise their agenda, but this time they don’t bother with guns and gangs to get their thoughts across. If one can get by the overdone existentialism and sometimes cloying script, then a good time can easily be had. This is calculated commercial cinema that’s fun and entertaining, and features a fabulous star turn from its leading lady. Shu Qi is truly a miracle—this girl can seemingly do anything within her age range. She has a genuine charisma that’s fitting for Kiki, a girl whose flighty nature hides only the most believable depths. Great music, sharp cinematography, and a wonderful location round out the package. This may not be the best HK film of 1999, but as a guilty pleasure it's hard to top. (Kozo 1999)
No comments:
Post a Comment