LOCK ME UP, TIE HIM DOWN
Starring: Vivian Hsu Jo-hsuan, He Jiong, Wang Xuebing
Director: Jeff Lau Chun-wai
Category: IIB (Putonghua and Cantonese)
Before the turn of the century, Jeff Lau Chun-wai regularly collaborated with the likes of Wong Kar-wai (on films like the starstudded The Eagle Shooting Heroes) and Stephen Chow Singchi (directing Hong Kong’s king of comedy in the popular Chinese Odyssey films). But although he’s been more prolific this century than those two local cinema giants, he’s not been as successful at the domestic box office.
One reason is that Lau’s recent films look to have been made more with the mainland in mind, rather than his home audience. For example, his latest offering opened in mainland cinemas more than a month before its release in Hong Kong.
Also, while Hong Kong movie personalities like Kara Wai Ying-hung (named best supporting actress for her performance in Juno Mak Chunlung’s Rigor Mortis at the recent Hong Kong Film Awards) feature in the cast, they certainly don’t have key roles in Lock Me Up, Tie Him Down.
Instead, this is a Vivian Hsu Johsuan vehicle, with much being made of it being the singer-actress’ final film before getting married.
Hsu charms as Tiffany, a housewife whose world is turned upside down by a stranger (He Jiong) who breaks into her apartment and tells her that he abducted her husband of eight years, Cheung Kwok-fu (Wang Xuebing), while he was on a business trip in Hong Kong. Adding to the bizarreness of the situation, the kidnapper, who says his name is Fok Hak, tells Tiffany that he doesn’t want any ransom money. Instead, to secure her husband’s freedom, she will have to take on the role of Fok Hak’s wife for a week.