Starring: Amy Chum Yan-mi, Kristal Tin Yui-lee, Monie Tung Man-lee, Sydney Director: Lee Kung-lok Category: IIA (Cantonese) Belly dancing is an unlikely metaphor for life, especially in Hong Kong. All the more remarkable then that director Lee Kung-lok takes the premise and turns it in to an emotionally satisfying Cantonese film. Co-produced by Wong Ching-po and Daniel Yu Wai-kwok, it's an auspicious solo debut for Lee, who co-directed Fu Bo (2003) with Wong and All About Love (2005) with Yu. In My Mother is a Belly Dancer, Lee proves adept at reinventing the socially conscious 'tenement genre' (a staple of post-war Cantonese cinema, reflecting the era's housing conditions) within a 21st-century context. Set in Choi Hung Estate, the movie is inhabited by working-class folk who do their best to bring colour and vibrancy to their harried lives and drab environment. The protagonists, a group of women, decide to take belly-dancing lessons, much to the consternation of local gossips, who view the activity as immoral and un-Chinese, and chauvinistic husbands opposed to anything that might provide their wives with a sense of identity outside the home. The script (by Erica Lee Man, from a story by the director and Susan Chan Suk-yin) presents an interesting cross-section of see lai, a Cantonese slang term roughly equivalent to hausfrau and the focus of the film's Chinese title (which translates directly as 'it's not easy being a see lai'). There's Mrs Wong (Kristal Tin Yui-lee), a mother of four who tries to hide the loss of her garbage-collecting job from her unemployed husband (Gordon Lam Ka-tung); Mrs Lee (Sydney), a housewife treated like dirt by an emotionally abusive spouse (Ken Tong Chun-yip); Mrs Chan (Amy Chum Yan-mi), a fruit vendor jilted by her husband; and Cherry (Monie Tung Man-lee), a single mother looking for Mr Right. The narrative exhibits a certain unevenness while weaving its various strands. The Cherry subplot, in particular, never quite fits with the more mature vignettes, although it's notable for a surprisingly low-key cameo by comedian Lam Tze-chung. There's an attempt ot inject a little too much closure into the bitter-sweet proceedings. But the overall tone is optimistic without an excess of saccharine, so viewers can root for the characters without feeling manipulated. The background music by Paul Wong Koon-chung (of rock group Beyond) is a welcome change from the synthesised scores afflicting local productions. The film is also atypical for its grounding in reality and the warmth and dignity of its protagonists. Lee has elicited outstanding performances from the cast, including memorable turns by Sydney and Chum (a Golden Horse nominee for best supporting actress). Moviegoers used to Gordon Lam's recent portrayals of louts and gangsters will be impressed by the subtlety of his soft-speaking tailor. As his wife, Tin reveals a capacity for nuance she has had little opportunity to display. My Mother is a Belly Dancer opens today
