Advertisement
Advertisement

Give Love

Give Love Gigi Leung Wing-kei, Wilson Chen Bo-lin, Shao Bing, Emily Kwan Bo-wai Director: Joe Ma Wai-ho, Leefire

Love means constantly having to say you're sorry in this triangular romantic comedy whose apex is eye-appealingly occupied by Gigi Leung Wing-kei.

The former ingenue does what she can with Leslie Chan, a formulaic Sex in the City babe who wavers between a hunky philandering husband (mainland star Shao Bing) and his straight-laced younger brother (Taiwanese actor Wilson Chen Bo-lin). The situation is complicated by the latter loving Leslie from afar, not realising she's his sister-in-law till fate (or, in this movie, scriptwriter Tong Yiu-leung) conspires for her to move into his flat.

The movie is chiefly notable for its attempt to make mainstream 1990s-style Hong Kong comedy palatable to mainland audiences, and in this it succeeds.

Though the film is largely set in Hong Kong, Leslie has spent the past five years in Hangzhou married to a local entrepreneur, thus making her the embodiment of 'one country, two systems'. Add to the mixture a Taiwanese pop star playing a suitor, and it's as much a recipe for pan-Chinese harmony as it is an example of cinematic conformity.

Despite a lack of chemistry between the leads, the film beat box office expectations across the border while, ironically, only having a limited run in Hong Kong.

Leung's fans won't be disappointed (the DVD includes her music video of the theme song), and an added bonus is a hilarious cameo by Emily Kwan Bo-wai as a drinking buddy whose personality outshines those of the film's stars. Extras: Making of MV with Gigi Leung, behind-the-scenes footage, commercial trailer.

Post