| Acclaimed writer Matt Chow (Bullets Over Summer, Juliet In Love, Going Home) scored critical acclaim eventually as director with Itchy Heart only to totally hit a brick wall with 2004's The Attractive One. Showcasing no confidence in making simple romantic and comedic material fly or in his stars (Lau Ching Wan and Joey Yung), the film wanders endlessly in unspecial territory until it hits you during one of Chapman To's aggravating scenes. However it's not a positive revelation, it's just the definite proof that Chow has strung together contrasting material, hoping it will be poignant, funny and strangely does not realize that it's stupid decisionmaking all the way here. Somehow I have my doubts that surreal wacky material such as Joey Yung's character growing a moustache whenever things are going bad or the breakout into further surrealism is audience pleasing (and Lau's Ching Wan with his huge birth mark never gets an even slight mention or examination. Now that's money wasted on make-up!). Others do this better, others do romantic comedies better. When you summarize a film like The Attractive One as weird, you're approaching disastrous levels and Matt Chow's film can't be embraced for the poor level it's at either! Now, when is Lau Ching Wan, who does showcase a second or two of his undeniable coolness and charisma, going to choose movie projects more wisely? |
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