Starring Lu Feng and Chiang Sheng, two out of the team that Chang Cheh assembled from Taiwan for his Venoms films at Shaw's (although Chiang didn't participate in the original The Five Venoms) as the god of plates and chopsticks respectively, the two have a tradition of dueling it out every 10 years. After the last ferocious battle involving, you guessed it, plates and chopsticks, they decide to challenge each other to find the best human disciple instead. The choice falls upon two teahouse waiters and the gods begin to put them through all kinds of embarrassing hell.

Best described as a kung fu cartoon (complete with the expected sound effects), director Huang Kuo-Chu is clearly having a ball! Pace and energy is borderline frantic, surely making a lot of jokes fly by without knowing they were ever jokes in the first place. The Drunken Master influence is definitely well on its way into the picture but it's quickly a thought ejected considering the craziness otherwise on display, in particular wonderful opening duel between the gods. The bizarre nature makes it very much less a carbon copy, I'll tell you! It all makes for entertaining viewing even though honestly nothing on display will tickle your funnybone to the extreme. Fight Among The Supers is also a good tester to see how receptive you really are to the low-brow comedy of Asian cinema, especially since it occupies most of the running time here.

As for traditional action, various skilled acrobatics from the leads crop up during the running time and the final reel becomes more of a conventional showdown but one with the Taiwanese players strutting their stuff in a lively way. Shame about some of the undercranking but somehow it makes sense and adds on to the entertainment value of this slice of Taiwanese kung fu cinema.

Detailing the lives of various characters within an inner city nightclub, be it actual hookers or those having retired but running the place more firmly these days, much of the problem in Yau's intentions with this Category III rated drama is probably due to a broad focus and too little distinctive characteristics. Even the at best vaguely distinctive characters are no drama slam-dunks. Attempts to show insight into various lives over the course of 8 days or so reveals many familiar beats for this story, much of which will sound actually good when writing about them. And it probably did to Yau and Yeung Yee-Shan when doing so.

So within the club, in the girl's waiting room where they share space with the Madam's (Athena Chu's Coco and Candice Yu as Jenny) of the establishment, we hear of the Mainlanders affecting the business or rather gets money thrown at them in larger quantities so the atmosphere is a grab bag. Stalking the outside of the club is a political activist (Yan Ng) who wants to fight... for the rights... of the sex workers, little of which any of them understand or want to listen to anyway. One of many scattershot and boring details of the narrative. Having Ng perform rallying speeches transforms parts of Whispers And Moans into a comedy and it completely strikes out. Jumping further wildly between characters abandoning innocence and probably will have little to no chance of returning to "normal" life, they turn their backs on marriage proposals out of shame. Venereal disease OF COURSE has its place and the panic mostly resides Athena Chu's Coco who still seems to want to have a man each day, all representing some weird notion of only wanting to be held but by many. She's a whirlwind that you care little for and when what seems like the oddest story in the film being the most compelling, that of Patrick Tang's gigolo finding comfort with a transvestite (Don Li), it's no wonder the film comes off as never finding a footing. Not because of any gripe I have with the story but that it's a a strand that should support the main ones. Not vice versa.

We almost wish we would get over the top violence and tragedy akin to Bet On Fire and Girls Without Tomorrow but that would be cheap and Herman Yau does at least keep those aspects to a logical minimum. With the harshest content being Monie Tung's drug addiction and the sister Nana (Mandy Chiang) struggling in her decision to help AT ALL, it's a small kudos to give Yau but the overall tally of Whispers And Moans means it can't flex any cinematic muscle. A serious story with poor decisions and poor skill to bring maturity out of mostly untested talent, the content of Yau and Yeung Yee-Shan's script (Yeung did an interview book on the subject prior) has its poignancy but it's not carried out, at all. This reviewer took a mental trip back to Andy Chin's Call Girl 92 and while it may have served as an influence, it is indeed still unchallenged. In 2007 when Herman Yau dabbles into this story again, he gets audience reaction EXACTLY akin to the English title. Mostly moans...

And it's still not getting old! I.e. the synopsis that comes with a new Edmond Pang movie that usually rings of some veerryy wrong things. Ok, after Isabella Pang isn't echoing incest again in his latest Exodus but with the frame of thought that concerns the female lavatory, eyebrows are raised high yet another time. Once again for the right and unexpected reasons?

I also realized that now it's fun to sell your friends or new peeps the idea of these basic, naughty and questionable frameworks of flicks because Pang hides something else in his head often. Reading his Director's Statement, you'll find a very candid view of observations made by a younger Pang and thoughts of watching women entering restrooms, coming out subsequently rejuvenated rested in his head only to be brought out in 2007. A slow, challenging, often times intriguing, dark and difficult experience, the sole problem of Pang's mystery is that he won't make any new friends. It's for established ones and those he will probably divide too! But as part of the Hong Kong cinema output, Exodus finds a place right smack in the middle of the big, commercial vehicles and the quick, much needed local. It's therefore very much its own and we're thankful for the daring positioning.

Dropping much slick, arty touches that Isabella came with (and alienated viewers with it due to its "obvious" connection to the works of Wong Kar-Wai), still we're in some kind of abstract territory it seems as Pang has DOP Charlie Lam shoot a weirded out opening with policemen in scuba gear beating a suspect bloody and the shot starts on the Queen! Okidoki then ...but latching mentally onto the synopsis, do we have a male director spewing out his hatred for women? Probably not as the path the narrative takes is so unplowed, it seems like Pang is conjuring up images in his head of what it MIGHT be that goes on behind closed doors. Reality or not, it's up to you. Men and violent tendencies could be a tangent too in this black comedy that is low on comedy, laughs and true darkness. Feel divided yet friends?

Yes indeed, Exodus burns slowly, possibly never amounts to anything come conclusion time (if you're a more intelligent viewer than me, you'll find stuff to "get" probably) but while having a connection to Pang's work isn't necessarily the clinching factor to want to decipher Exodus, it definitely does help because the somewhat somber, slow cinema on display here doesn't play well into a crowd just after a quick fix, not even a quick Edmond Pang fix.

No, on display is sort of a tricky The X-Files earthly conspiracy of some wacky yet black kind with a male at its center that walks a dangerous path. Simon Yam's Tsim doesn't exactly live a married life of dread, nor seems unhappy with a woman by his side. No one of those things represents the trigger to look deeper into the curious testimony left by Nick Cheung's Kwan Ping Man. No, having served the force for 20+ years, Tsim sees a chance to take a weird case far for his own career fulfillment. Very much prepared to follow through, walking clean, stale, stark surroundings, the career path dissatisfaction (worn on the inside) triggers the trip outside of the bubble.

One shouldn't go too far in explaining the rather odd, again probably unexpected paths of Exodus but the in place wackiness translating into something possibly real yet black turned typically Pang off-beat, reveals a common thread about conspiracies that again has to do with walking outside of your established, safe environment. When someone is prepared to do so, do you reap a reward or a painful separation? It applies to both sides in Edmond Pang's slow burning frame and if it seems abstract in words, it's a service to the final, unresolved effect of Pang's. Underwhelming could almost act as a compliment, even down to the performances but there's reason aplenty to remain a friend, an open one of Pang's tools of the trade and certainly one is happy for him to stretch what his cinema is about. Men and particular women have a system in his created world. A system he does not judge nor embrace and some of his characters work the system like they have been taught, for better or worse. When it comes crashing down, Pang's hand doesn't slap hard but forces you to think in different ways. It's well worth it but be prepared to be equally divided as his sexes are in the film.

Who on earth should have the idea in 2005 to resurrect ninjas on-screen, in hokey ways or not? Well, it makes sense Herman Yau at least tries it out just to get a feel, see if he has any feel and if he can make audiences feel. He will have stuff to do regardless how poor, decent or good he fares cinematically anyway. Although the talent in front is untested and lacking talent, Joseph Lai and Tomas Tang (IFD and Filmark respectively) need not feel threatened. They're still kings of the C-movie swamp of hilarity via their cut & paste ninja flicks starring the likes of Richard Harrison, Stuart Smith and Mike Abbott. Equal kudos points still exists in Yau's Lethal Ninja as in any other Godfrey Ho helmed flick of the same content. Why? Ninjas, that's why (or for the very initiated...ninjers). Some pre-release buzz managed to surround the flick thanks to the 10 Herman Yau fans out there and after a longer than usual hiatus between wrapping and releasing, at least that number of people got to see what Yau had up his sleeve. Which in all honesty isn't much, rather poorly made but something definitely likeable despite, even if only based on the ninja inclusion alone.

There's a warm, fuzzy feeling sinking in when you see the subtitle "Block the ninjas!" on-screen, in a 2005 effort and contemporary setting. However Yau manages to conjure up rather less than stellar viewer-response during his opening as it's clear we're not in for high budget-treats of the various ninja techniques (computer generated water and blood rears its head later to poor effect too) nor rather clear looking ones either. It's all very non-stationary, lacking flow and all there is left is the amusing thought of actually seeing ninjas in a new-ish movie. Approaching laughable when stopping to present factoids of almost each and every ninja is, however hard it is to admit, something for folks of Yau's ilk and fans of bad movies to feel even more warm about however.

Although it IS more ambitious than anything with Godfrey Ho's name on it, the sole connection one can make to the craziness of that production period is their cut & paste creation Ninja Commandments. A strange, surreal mixture of punishing Taiwanese melodrama and ninja religion, where Lethal Ninja fits in is through its exploration of the art, whether it's the art of living, feeling and training. We're now past the only so-so display of actors in colourful pajamas and in a rather attractive looking, village-set part of the flick that sees our main characters gain their standard, canned enlightenment about various crap. Yes, representatives from the rival clans unite, re-evaluates and it's all somehow Herman Yau-esque competent. Quite ballsy to treat this material seriously, where he ends up contains passable diversions when not in action and less silly, contemporary-set ninja shenanigans subsequently. Those more rooted elements are mere stock ones as well, such as when we get glimpses into our mega-villain of the piece as essayed by Waise Lee. In his high tech headquarters with bodyguards loaded up on bullets and throwing stars, it's almost laugh out loud amusing to hear THE BIG PLOT spelled out as it blurs the line between laziness and satire to a point. It's not worth pondering that or any journeys taken by the main characters however. Although Dayo Wong's Copy is acted with a level of loveable loser-aura, affect and effect is missing and the only respectable performance comes out of a good, automatic one courtesy of Eddy Ko as Master Basho.

Quite lovely and harmless, when Herman Yau ends up doing himself only a semi-decent favour, Hong Kong cinema BARELY a favour and genre-content the biggest, most ambitious favour in a long time, Lethal Ninja becomes a respectable representation of what Yau can do. Which is often not enough but also good enough at the same time. But I'm now done with it, digested it and it has passed out the natural way. Next please!

Concluding a thematic trilogy concerning Vietnamese refugees, often referred to as boat people, within Below The Lion Rock Ann Hui's short "From Vietnam" established darkness and idea but little effect. Continuing in the early and applauded Chow Yun-Fat vehicle The Story Of Woo Viet, feature filmmaking saw Hui's anger and need to establish a magnifying glass on issues come to fruition. Boat People concluded themes but remained a clouded effort thanks to the lack of availability prior to the Edko dvd release. Now viewers can follow the further dips into dark, bottomless wells, the super-early career of Andy Lau (and hair) and the award winning drama that according to Ann Hui, lacked political motives. Didn't stop the film from the aura of political controversy however but Hui stated back at the tumultuous time at the Cannes Film Festival in 1983, "Boat People is a survival story set in a tragic moment in history. It's not a propaganda statement against Communism." You shouldn't turn to sogoodreviews.com for any such deconstruction of content however. We just write what we feel which is a valid point even though I've never been close to the events of the film. There, I've excused myself for writing a poor review but I can still go with Hui's angle and like it. And I do.

It's interesting to read Hui talk of the dirty, gritty nature of The Story Of Woo Viet being a hindrance for some viewers to take it seriously but years later it still achieves its effect through the tool. Doing extensive research for Boat People, through interviews with refugees and a Japanese reporter that acted as a character basis for George Lam's Shiomi Akutagawa, it's fiction/full on reality and risk-taking of the highest degree as also detailed in Hui's interview with Film Comment. So is it a feeble journey to take just to make a statement or a valid risk in order to enlighten non-politically? The answer is yes many times during the feature but true to form, Ann Hui doesn't exactly use high speed-means to make some of us agree but we're fine with it. It's not about affecting to the point where some of our macho buttons gets ejected but getting the EFFECT. In particular when the final frame has gone by.

Without reading up on the history and political turmoil in Vietnam, that choice acts as a letter of challenge to Hui the director as you want to know how far into the darkness she can pull a viewer that's always been on the safe side of the fence. Truth of the matter is, the basic synopsis from the back of the dvd helps us immensely to be drawn in and all throughout Hui's quote of the film being a survival story rings eerily true. In an upgrade technically despite shooting in back alleys literally and figuratively, in a time of liberation we get an outside figure the steering forces deem a good tool to use. Here's where some politics enter story-wise as Vietnam wants to show its good sides and Akutagawa have certainly only been on board to do his job, to claim fame. But it's a back alley that changes part of his perspective. An image that has lingered, images that start to linger and when going deeper into the truths of the new Vietnam, he can't hide behind a camera anymore. The view is enhanced, extra wide if you will and the finger isn't just on the button of the camera. It's at the button of making a difference, changing fates. But Hui doesn't just set out to focus on the outsider of the poor people but the leftover rulers to a degree that witnesses their beloved country evaporating. Although her subjects ultimately remain the people in the English title of the film, the select gallery we get a sense of and Hui manages to, for better or worse, transport us to the unflinching imagery of the times.

Effective in her narrative skills (but be forewarned that the pace is very slow), direction of actors (who knew George Lam would have a movie in his filmography where he fit in to a T?!) and also the split-second detours into violent, bloody imagery, Hui works up a superb technical sense in combination with the disturbing nature that lurks in the surroundings. Not even lurking at all times even, one of the most vivid images is the scene in which Season Ma's Cam Nuong goes over recently executed corpses for rewards to reap. It's a dark concept of the poor having to take the leftovers but also the dog eat dog mentality one must adhere to, even if RESIGNING to fate (i.e. NOT wanting a position at the New Economy Zones that in reality are labour camps). Also see adults and children become mortal victims of random missteps, the "reward" of not being a good comrade and you get a sense that Hui utilizes a magnifying glass again. It's in your face but not at the expense of turning the film into something poor.

It is indeed tragedy, it is survival and it's feeble/unselfish sacrifice in order to get to the point Chow Yun-Fat was in at the start of The Story Of Woo Viet. And that's not a happy place to be but it's one step closer to... something.... perhaps. Equally one for Ann Hui as she concludes her Vietnam cycle, Boat People is open for interpretation but us lacking any interest or knowledge in politics use the human part of our brain to see that the director was very much spot on when talking of the film back in the day. Go whichever route you want. I've taken mine and I won't/can't do anything else. For what it's worth, it does equal praise directed towards what remains a strong-willed filmmaker even today.

Also known as Ah Kam: Story of a Stuntwoman, Ann Hui's feature following Summer Snow, the critical and awards explosion towards her gentle story of an Alzheimer's inflicted man (Roy Chiao), takes a turn into territory destined to be noticed by more than just fans of measured Ann Hui cinema. Yes, it's a story set IN Hong Kong cinema, behind the scenes, in a dramatic way (as opposed to the more witty ways in Derek Yee's and Law Chi-Leung's Viva Erotica from the same year) and suitably enough, action icons Michelle Yeoh and Sammo Hung take center stage. One of many candidates to gladly suffer the odd bruise and break, in fact Michelle Yeoh sustained quite a serious injury on set as she mistimed a jump but I would like to say it was worth the sacrifice for the final product. I can't, as Ann Hui misfires in an annoying way. One being that the messy film doesn't seem like a love letter to the cinema she works in at all.

Her writers were coming off The Log and Summer Snow and Hui certainly has expressed warmth towards the action part of Asian cinema, both as a fan of King Hu and Chang Cheh. We're treated to the nuts and bolts of what goes on behind a Hong Kong action movie, featuring players in character roles that we are delighted to see, such as Mang Hoi. An elaborate opening crane shot, some mistimed realism when it comes to creating the non-realistic action scenes within the movie but clearly a tale of group dynamics, somewhat of a heart seems in place anyway. Business is as usual for these workers within a very risky and low paid industry and certain scenes combined with score really does bring out the love for the hard labour someone on the production of The Stuntwoman has.

Enter Ah Kam who has a very quick transition from wannabee stuntwoman to taking over directing reigns and risks. That awfully quick transition signals some warnings but in a way it makes sense looking at subsequent sections where she's steered away from the stunt profession. Here is a girl who's not learned many steps in life and her quick, many, many ventures perhaps represents the most dangerous stunts of all? Within an earthly and rooted look nicely created by cinematographer Ardy Lam (A Battle Of Wits), if we would've gotten a low-key but generally pleasant little tale about what's described above, The Stuntwoman could've been a winner. As it turns out, Ann Hui is a little angry too and with that anger comes a sloppiness, lack of focus and most importantly, approval.

Because things turn a little crappy for Ah Kam as crappy people are prone to doing crappy things but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger is the argument. All fine and well and we can take Hui agreeing with the writer's on being mean towards people we don't approve of being subjected to crap. But someone's bad mood (Hui's) doesn't stop the movie sliding into all manner of detours that makes the plate endlessly full. At a point there's core character death, followed by goofy gangsters, reflective voice over and you wonder when is it going to stop? Couldn't it have stopped earlier and does this really fall in line with the celebration of the hard working group?

Answer is no and when final tally comes through, Ann Hui has given Hong Kong cinema two slaps in the face. One in the movie and one towards the movie she created. Although her pace is much better than her ACTUAL better cinema such as Boat People and Eighteen Springs. Plus performers Michelle Yeoh and in particular Sammo Hung look very comfortable embodying the little girl and the tired master respectively. Further proof that at least the latter should get and take the chance to further expand on his excellent subtle, acting. As for Ann Hui and The Stunt Woman, amazingly enough it's totally watchable if you just want to watch something but it represents many train of thoughts at once and that makes it lose its battle with warmth. Oh what a simple classic she almost had.

Reunion time in 2007 at Milkyway! Johnnie To no longer does things solo while spicing up Hong Kong cinema with players that actually grow in talent under his eye. It's true though the latter as Mad Detective offers up a mixture of the old and new but in particular old. You've got shared directing duties with Wai Ka-Fai for the first time since 2003's Running On Karma, one of the few harder edged (but done in Milkyway's own way) vehicles with the To/Wai credit. At other times they and their returning leading man Lau Ching-Wan have indeed mixed it up for the sake of profit but ultimately Milkyway Image's history speaks greatly (GREATLY!) of the darker, harder, off-beat and funny. Are they adding on top of the pile of pre-millennium and post-millennium classics (the company passed its 10 year anniversary in 2006. How time flies)? You betcha!

It feels like eons ago Johnnie To and Milkyway severed the ties to commercial necessity and nowadays whatever is on their minds, ends up on the screen in often the most vivid of cinematic ways. Firmly drenching Mad Detective in the noir style made famous by their in-house cinematographer Cheng Siu-Keung but basically creating a suspense vehicle (of sorts, it's rule breakers at work here you know...), the term method to madness applies to reality and fiction here. Because the team aren't doing rehashes of TV-series such as Profiler or Millennium but what are they doing you always, always, ALWAYS should ask! Based on the premise and the character of Bun alone, you've got every conceivable angle for Johnnie To and co. to work from and it's indeed thanks the wondrous nature of Milkyway cinema that we're treated to the unexpected much of the time.

Not AS quirky or deadpan in the humour department this time around (a scene at a public toilet does sends jolts to our laugh-center and more...), perhaps the addition of Wai Ka-Fai again speaks of success achieved with Running On Karma because there's obviously similarities premise-wise. And that vehicle indeed offered up something fresh but also typically wild Hong Kong cinema. The forces collide here but balances out matters a bit and the biggest venture outside a dark, gory frame is some warmth and tragedy... at the same time. With Lau Ching-Wan's PITCH PERFECT portrayal of a humane madman, here's a man who looks like he's been swallowed by obsession but doesn't want to erase his only instincts and drive in life either. Hence staying off medication but also being a risky character with little to no downtime to REALLY ponder the in's and out's of his instincts, he seems to be able to drag down people easily with him. In this case Andy On's Ho, someone with only a limited set of inner personalities. There's a chance of growth here and closure.

It's quite lovely the way To/Wai elicits various oooh's and wah's from their audience. Either via the shocking opening that easily earned the flick its Category III rating or the various hints at what all those extra people (mainly actors from the Milkyway stable) are all of a sudden doing in the frame. But it's not a special statement made because they don't know what they're doing. No, they CAN and have an enormous amount of focus to deliver an involving time that may approach complex but is easily accessible to the max as well. It's a tricky thing to balance the moods but in reality the writing also makes sure they're naturally close to each other, be it the happier, funnier and supremely violent moments. The inner personalities angle could even be dropped too if looking at the simple template but it matters, and is felt nonetheless. Whose inner stuff matters more? The extensive, busy one or the one lacking even ONE? The suitable answer is delivered and even with a wooden Andy On walking behind the tremendous surprises Lau Ching-Wan offers up, it's a serviceable performance backed by skills and belief so a fairly integral, suitable part is reserved for On. And he owns it a little.

Much is about rebirth in Johnnie To's and Wai Ka-Fai's superb potboiler and considering the focus on display, perhaps they shouldn't go about their individual business alone for such extended period of time anymore. They work extremely well together, especially now with creative freedom set in stone firmly. Two fine, outer personalities but I'm willing to bet Johnnie To has Wai Ka-Fai in him and vice versa.

From yet another busy year for Herman Yau where the term flip-flopped could yet again be easily applied, those that took off was the 3rd entry in the Troublesome Night-series, The Untold Story III and The Masked Prosecutor while one of those that didn't was the Lunar New Year boat romance Fascination Amour. Because when it's pratfall humour, a fair amount of mugging and assorted retarded behaviour on display early, the term flip-flop is also accompanied by a sigh and "uh-oh".

When the pretty boy playboy became a working man, that's the template here and obviously the film is designed as a quick, cheap pleasure vacation for the audience too. It's always fun then to see Herman Yau venture into these light areas as the rumour of being Hong Kong's gore-king (via The Untold Story and Ebola Syndrome) still remains. But the story of Andy Lau's braindead bachelor is fluff at the lower end of the fluff-scale.

Being both arrogant and cocky, with a staff of Yes-sayers, somewhere in there little Albert wants to take part in the simple pleasure of life. But knowing only one thing and having been reliant on his father for such a long time, it's no wonder he's a bit of a dick. 7 potential fiances's turned away, maybe now the trip on the boat Fascination will turn things around? OF COURSE it will, thanks to a strong-willed lady that isn't easily hooked by Albert's wealth. In fact, she has wealth to spare but it's depleting, much to her own pleasure as she can easily adapt to a simple life. So as Albert tries to prove he's not just after getting into her pants, he takes the challenge and the rest you can figure out for yourself.

No huge meaning, no depth and with a decent little message about letting relationships develop naturally rather than being set-up (Qu Ying's Kathy, the 8th fiancee, represents this idea as she meets a fellow Mainlander on board), in a way there's even a little audience participation created by Yau as we do react towards dickish behaviour/frustration courtesy of Albert but also buy the journey he takes. Buy in the sense that we finish the film, recognize it for the cheap one that it is and that the leads displays decent chemistry when on their own for a reel or two.

But indeed, Fascination Amour is for viewers who doesn't want to take the trek there but instead the quick and ready injection. Oh well, despite only logging about three laughs and little memorable in the way of romance, Yau gives us some highlights. Anthony Wong is wonderfully silly as one of the assistants to Albert while Raymond Wong and Christine Ng plays a borderline retarded couple that reenacts scenes from Titanic. And speaking of the boat, it's obviously a bitchin' piece of ready-made production design yet Yau manages to make the movie look at its dullest whenever shooting on board. Plus, he plants himself in some weird middle ground when employing drama that neither registers as funny or touching but just unfocused and odd. And yes, this rom/com is an montage-fest accompanied by Andy Lau songs so calculated entertainment below any respectful line it definitely is. An easy ride for the makers, an easy ride for the viewers. The biggest boat in the world can't make that fact positive one.

With little narrative in the traditional sense, Mabel Cheung and Alex Law return to the immigration/emigration theme of their past work (An Autumn's Tale, The Illegal Immigrant) but got enough new ways to speak of it. We're happy to be part of some repetition as Sammo Hung's Slim packs up big stuff from America as he plans his return to the motherland of China. Not that Slim made much of a name for himself over there. As a matter of fact, he's a cab driver but the return to the village must be a triumphant, big one in his mind. Originally fleeing without a proper goodbye, 16 years down the line means all this preparation is rooted in fear of being rejected...

There's quite a hefty psychology to Hung's Slim that gradually gets revealed in the film as we follow him on a deeper and deeper trip into the very roots of his being. Slim can spin stories about the great, big land he came from to hide the fact he didn't manage to learn much of its culture and via the injection of Sylvia Chang's Jenny (the cousin of Slim, nicknamed Odds-and-Ends), he may be answering her questions for her prep to go over there with her future husband but he's not in any way above her level. In fact, the two are the true beginners in this story. Characters that are suitably then in a very earthy and village bound setting for most of the film. Mabel Cheung doesn't ask us beforehand to be patient but we have to realize that the entire movie is a beautiful, meticulous, detailed village travelogue. We begin to truly feel as the image of Slim's old dog Spot becomes the symbolism of his lack of accomplishments but the danger, maybe plot-wise, is about the fact that Slim finds Jenny the perfect friend to discover the world with. A world that pre-plans things, including Jenny's future.

The film is more visual cinema than narrative (Bill Wong's cinematography is stunning however), which is fine once the dramatic effect sinks in but it's not the ideal start for anyone curious about Mabel Chung, Alex Law or indeed the dramatic acting from Sammo. The film can be hard to decipher and the various local superstition, rules and characters hard to interpret but when you realize the complexity is all about Cheung not spelling out matters in an overly apparent way, you begin to sit more comfortably. Especially so since the basics of the film, the growing affecting between Slim and Jenny, becomes VERY apparent and affecting eventually. Finally, Slim's exterior he deems a failure springs to true life as well as the warm performances by Sammo and Sylvia who are in full control of the subtleties of their non-actions. It's all in the looks, in the faces faces that speaks volumes of basically virgin-characters and while Eight Taels Of Gold isn't an ideal starting point if you want to follow the careers of the involved, you should and will end up at it.

Yes, this Sharla Cheung/Gordon Chan production is proud to be a Hong Kong movie with the "gift" of being all over the map but Bosco Lam directing (A Chinese Torture Chamber Story) doesn't equal opportunities wasted at all. In fact, Dream Lover possesses an eccentric, likeable and fairly touching aura that breaks cinematic rules gleefully to quite interesting effect. Interesting automatically being a verdict for any Hong Kong cinema vehicle doing what this does but Dream Lover has something. In fact, Bosco could've made the sweet romance with the otherwise suave Tony Leung and Wu Chien-Lien and gotten something über-pleasant out of it but the five man strong writing team goes for shift of gears where the film turns different to say the least and even dark with later an emotional payoff that is more nice than felt. But the musings of newly hatched love existing in a bubble, the puzzling nature of fate and stars that believe in the material makes Dream Lover better not just because it's different. Nat Chan deserves kudos for putting in a rare performance where he doesn't cover the entire film in annoyance. Perhaps it's the absence of Wong Jing in the directing chair. Also with Law Kar-Ying and Jack Kao.

But director Chiang's story is about hopeless outcasts and as the violent act draws near, it's easy to spot that there's no true salvation in the film. The study is very much worthwhile and featuring characters relying on sign language to such a great extent is a directorial challenge Chiang does well in. The social commentary and its examination is a bit on the slight side though and Silent Love never really goes beyond interesting territory. The directing gene in brother Derek Yee was and is more prominent but Chiang proved to be a worthy behind the camera talent, none more so than in his last feature Mother of A Different Kind. Also with Fan Siu Wong, Roy Cheung and Lam Chung.