DVD Hong Kong Modern Audio Region 0 85 minutes Directed by Chow Jan Wing Written by Chow Jan Wing Lam Wa Fan With Cecilia Yip Shing Fui On Kenny Bee Available to Purchase at HKFlix.com 
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Home | Upcoming | Reviews | In Cinemas | Links | Features | Editorials | Search R E V I E W Chinese Orthopedist and the Spice Girls (2002) Chow Jan Wing wrote Fast Fingers in 1983 and Stumbling Cops in 1988. His first directorial effort was Close Escape in 1989; he followed that with My Pale Lover (1993), Hong Kong Show Girl (1996), Untouchable Maniac (2000), and Dead End (2001). Producer Nam Yin has written a number of notable films, among them Prison on Fire and Full Contact. Lately he has been involved with the Troublesome Night series of horror films. The film played briefly in Hong Kong cinemas at the end of February 2002. MOVIE Plot: Wah is a widowed Chinese orthopedist. Her daughter Tweety hangs out with her friends, the "Spice Girls" of the English title - by the way, the singing is limited to one karaoke scene. Visa's father is a wealthy businessman (the mother either died or left), and she's only too happy to pay all the bills the group incurs. Sister Mark appears to be some kind of club girl. Showhand loves to gamble, but always loses. Eventually Showhand loses a huge sum of money to Philip, who just happens to be the boss of Marky, Tweety's boyfriend. Visa's father cuts off her money, and the group has to figure out a way to pay off the debt. Performances: Cecilia Yip brings a steady and calm presence to her role as mother and orthopedist. Shing Fui On plays Officer Han, the orthopedist's ostensible boyfriend. In flashbacks, Kenny Bee has a small part as her husband. The titular "girls" are appealing though limited in their abilities at this point of their thespian careers. They are portrayed by Ann Ho Pui Han (as Tweety), Zoie Tam Hoi Man (as Visa), Sally Tan (as Showhand), and Moe Chin Ching Man (as Sister Mark). Also in the cast were Ronnie Cheung Ho Lung (as Marky), Karel Wong Chi Yeung (as Philip, the mob boss), Turbo Law (as another gangster), and Felix Lok Ying Kwan (as Visa's father). By the way, the actors are identified in the end credits via still framed shots, a very welcome idea! Production: It takes nearly an hour for the plot machinations to begin cranking up. Until then, it looks like a slice of daily life - not very compelling and a bit aimless. Even when the "story" begins, it's so routine that I found myself wondering how much longer it would last. And the larger problem is that it focuses on the two least interesting characters: Tweety and Visa. Although both have dealt with losing a parent, they seem well adjusted and both have a loving (remaining) parent. The other girls (Showhand and Sister Mark) are more enigmatic - we never learn anything about their family situations - and thus more intriguing, but they are involved in the story in only the most rudimentary fashion. The filmmakers seemed to have a vague idea about providing a cautionary tale for young people, but are far too fuzzy to drive any warning points home. So we end up with a production that is far from offensive but equally distant from recommended viewing. The director, cinematographer (Ng Man Chuen), and camera and lighting personnel did a fine job in masking the limitations of video by utilizing creative lighting schemes. Rating: Category IIB for adult situations, some violence with a bit of bloodshed, and sexual references. DVD Look: The top and bottom of the screen are matted to give the appearance of a letterboxed film presentation. Bearing in mind that the story was lensed on video, it looked OK on my 32 inch television, but I suspect that on a larger set (or with closer inspection) its flaws would become more apparent. Sound: The Cantonese DD 2.0 soundtrack emanates chiefly from the center channel and is adequate, though unexceptional. Also included is a Mandarin 2.0 audio track. Subtitles: The burned-in, non removable white Chinese and English subtitles convey the gist of each scene, but sometimes move off the screen before they can be read. The translation is pretty rough. Features: Five chapters can be selected from a still frame menu. A trailer for Troublesome Night 13 (also shot on video) is included. The disk is not time coded. RECOMMENDATION Pass. Chugs along, tries to pick up steam, but never really goes any place interesting. Home | Upcoming | Reviews | In Cinemas | Links | Features | Editorials | Search |