Review | Ready or Knot movie review: snarky relationship comedy has its moments, but perpetrates the very worst gender clichés

Anselm Chan’s directorial debut plumbs the worst clichés about how men and women behave towards each other, even if in places it is very funny

Its portrayal of lustful men who will do anything to avoid marriage, and insecure women who feel the need to trap their men into marrying, is in poor taste

2-MIN READ2-MIN

Carlos Chan and Michelle Wai in a still from Ready or Knot (category IIA; Cantonese), directed by Anselm Chan. Michelle Wai and Chu Pak-hong co-star.

Published: 6:22pm, 1 Apr 2021Updated: 6:22pm, 1 Apr 2021

2.5/5 stars

Until he made a couple of surprisingly mellow movies last year, Patrick Kong Pak-leung had been known for directing embarrassingly contrived romantic comedies that focused on the nastiest aspects of relationships. At long last, Kong may have found a worthy successor.

With this, his directorial debut, Anselm Chan Mou-yin – a regular screenwriter for Vincent Kok Tak-chiu’s lowbrow comedies such as House of Wolves and Keep Calm and Be a Superstar – looks ready to take the baton from Kong. With its extremely cynical views on courtship and marriage, Ready or Knot normalises the very worst clichés about men and women – and feels smug about doing so.

The dialogue-heavy melodrama begins with the wedding of the proudly promiscuous Grey Bear (Chu Pak-hong) and his strong, but painfully oblivious bride, Jenny (Hedwig Tam Sin-yin), at which the groom’s two best buddies, Guy (Carlos Chan Ka-lok) and Kin (Shum Ka-ki), meet their respective love interests, Ho-yee (Michelle Wai Sze-nga) and Jessica (Renci Yeung Sze-wing).

The story jumps forward five years to dwell on the relationship cul-de-sac that Ho-yee and Guy now find themselves in: she wants to wed, he wants nothing of it, and each is supported by their toxic pals, who scheme behind their backs. Hesitation about marriage has been a popular subject for Hong Kong filmmakers of late – for example in 29+1 and My Prince Edward – and their films were all significantly better than Ready or Knot.