Film review: S for Sex, S for Secrets - sex comedy falls flat
This Patrick Kong Pak-leung scripted and co-produced (with Shirley Yung Sau-lan) comedy-drama sounds all right as a concept: make a film about four people with very different views of sex.
Starring: Annie Liu Xin-you, Pakho Chau Pak-ho, Jacqueline Chong Si-man, Patrick Keung Hiu-man
Director: Jil Wong Pak-kei
Category: IIB (Cantonese)
This Patrick Kong Pak-leung scripted and co-produced (with Shirley Yung Sau-lan) comedy-drama sounds all right as a concept: make a film about four people with very different views of sex.
Aim for the funny bone when focusing on the more uptight duo, but up the dramatic quotient when telling the story of the much more sexually experienced pair. Then link together this quartet of characters by giving all of them secrets to hide from their spouses.
In , the antics of Bo (Annie Liu Xin-you) — who thinks that sex should just be for making babies — and her husband Hung (Pakho Chau Pak-ho, pictured with Liu) — whose own sexual conservatism is revealed after he discovers that his new job is at an adult toy store — are initially amusing.
But the introduction of influential celebrity manager Sis Sze (Jacqueline Chong Si-man) and her sex addict husband Ben (Patrick Keung Hiu-man) serves to highlight just how conservative Bo and Hung often are.
At the same time, the more unrestrained pair's behaviour appears untoward when compared to the more amiable Bo and Hung's; especially after Sis Sze decides to bury professionally one of her celebrity clients for sleeping with her wayward husband.
It's slightly sad that the presence of each couple results in the other looking bad.
Worse though, is how their respective sections of this film seem completely at odds with each other.
Throw in the inept direction, and this is one veritable cinematic disaster.
