| Frequently slammed for efforts such as Passion Unbounded and Hong Kong Showgirls (and rightly so), Joe Hau's debut film is a fine ensemble drama focusing on career women possessing that tough/equally soft shell that speaks to their longing for love. A terrific cast consisting of Cecilia Yip, Carrie Ng (looking nothing like her trademark glamour self), Pauline Wong (also producer) and Petrina Fung performs in the often familiar template with gusto but much credit goes out to Hau's sense of making simplicity and familiarity work. Best scene probably being when the character of Dickson (Wu Shing-Guo - Temptation Of A Monk) takes Cecilia Yip's Ha to meet his parents. Staged as a cross examination, Hau's cinematic sensibility gels perfectly here and he remains truthful throughout. Bringing in elements of farce in the interaction between the women (Pauline's character doesn't go for a boob job, she goes for a pump that she adjusts whenever she likes), this clearly signals his desire to not go overboard with depth but Right Here Waiting... isn't a production that has calculated wrongly in its strife to be simple about the fate of characters. Their stern, playful shells make way for shyness, innocence in a way that is felt and even depressing. But the message about being pro-active, to only worry about the things you can change and change them brings the movie to a fine close. Shot in synch sound thankfully where you for once get to hear Pauline Wong speak in Chinese AND English. Emil Chow, Julian Cheung, Crystal Kwok, Jimmy Wong and Law Kar-Ying also appear. |
Quick Takes:
