R E V I E W

Dance of a Dream

Mega Star | 2001 | 94 minutes
Directed by Andrew Lau Wai-Keung
Written by Felix Chong Man Keung

With Andy Lau, Sandra Ng, Anita Mui

B A C K G R O U N D
director, in cinemas, recent and related films

As a cinematographer, Andrew Lau Wai-Keung lensed films such as City on Fire, As Tears Go By, and Once Upon a Time in China III. As a director since 1990, his best-known films are probably Young and Dangerous and The Storm Riders. In the latter part of 2001, three of his films were released: Bullets of Love, The Avenging Fist, and this one.

Writer Felix Chong Man Keung has been extremely busy as of late. He wrote Sunshine Cops in 1999, contributed to Tokyo Raiders and Gen-Y Cops in 2000, and, in 2001, co-wrote Final Romance and Sharp Guns, and received sole credit for Stolen Love, Shadow, and this film.

The film opened in Hong Kong cinemas at the end of December 2001 and enjoyed an extended run.

M O V I E

plot
Sandra Ng plays a shy woman. One night, while working as a waitress at a fancy social event, she espies Andy Lau dancing up a storm and is smitten with him. She promptly enrolls in a dance class that he teaches at his studio.

The dance studio is in dire financial straits. Salvation comes in the form of successful businesswoman Anita Mui. Her younger brother (Edison Chen) has recently returned to Hong Kong. Noticing her unhappy state, he secretly pays Andy Lau to give her dance lessons and 'make her happy.' He is delighted to accept, since the money will make it possible for him to realize his dream of a new skycraper studio.

Meanwhile, Sandra Ng harbors her crush on Mr. Lau and dreams of being his dance partner. Will everybody end up happy?

performances
Andy Lau, Sandra Ng, and Anita Mui are all very attractive and persuasive performers. Because of my qualms about the characters they play, my enjoyment of their work was undercut. That being said, they all deliver.

The supporting cast, especially the motley crew that make up the dance group that includes Sandra Ng, are also excellent.

production
In many ways, this is a very enjoyable film to watch. But throughout my viewing, I was distracted by a number of questions.

For example, I found it hard to understand why Sandra Ng - a mature woman, not a giggling teenager - was so stuck on Andy Lau. I know hero worship, etc. happens, especially from afar. I understand why Sandra Ng would want to take lessons from Andy Lau and would be happy to work for him as a maid.

It would have added depth, though, if we saw this as a pattern (i.e. she's always chased after seemingly unobtainable goals) or as a life-changing event (as in, she finally decided to take actions and take chances despite her timid nature and the possible disappointment she would face). As it is, the film seems to lean toward the latter explanation without being too explicit about it until the concluding dance scene.

As to Andy Lau's appeal, well, he certainly has a lot of charisma and charm and star power. But his character does not seem firmly fixed - is he really greedy and selfish? Is he overcome by his overwhelming desire for a big skycraper studio? Or is it his desire to compete in the world championship in England?

Scant attention is paid to Anita Mui. We are told that she is a successful businesswoman, and we see she is unhappy, but why did she finally respond to Andy Lau? Again, a bit more fleshing out of her character would have added depth to the movie.

The concluding sequence was also heartlessly unkind to one character in particular.

To be fair, though, a lot of people enjoyed this movie more than I did, and you may find that the breezy tone and strong performances more than offset the deficiencies of the script.

While writing this review, I watched the first 10-15 minutes again, and found that, on second viewing, I found myself forgetting about my reservations and enjoying it more. Your mileage may vary.

For a movie that was evidently completed in a very brief time, the production looks quite handsome. The cinematography credit was shared by the director and the distinguished Ko Chiu-Lam (Green Snake, The Magic Crane, Rock 'n' Roll Cop, The Longest Nite, Time and Tide, Funeral March).

Art direction was provided by Chong Kwok-Wing (The Lovers, King of Comedy) and the costume designer was Lee Pik-Kwan (Her Name is Cat, Cheap Killers, and many of the director's films).

The very enjoyable and multi-flavored musical score was composed by Chan Tak Kin (first credit) and Marco Wan Ho-Kit (Stooges in Hong Kong, The Eternal Evil of Asia).

(Thanks to Hong Kong Movie Database for credit information.)

rating
Category IIA, probably for some of the adult themes. No violence, no overt sexuality (though plenty implied!), and one profanity

D V D

look
The letterboxed presentation looks quite snazzy, although a trifle soft at times. The colors are well saturated and vibrant, black tones are very deep, and flesh tones approximate humanity. The source print appears extremely clean.

sound
Very good. The music sounds full-bodied on the Cantonese DD 5.1 track. Also included is a Mandarin DD 5.1 version.

subtitles
The white (with black backing) removable English subtitles are very easy to read and well timed, although the translation is a bit dodgy at times (e.g., instead of "1, 2, 3" you see "1, B2, B3"). Also included are traditional and simplified Chinese subtitles.

features
Nine chapters can be selected from a still-frame menu. The bonus material consists of a synopsis, brief biographies and film listings for Andy Lau, Anita Mui, and Sandra Ng, a 27-minute "making of" feature (with interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, although without English subtitles), a teaser trailer, and another theatrical trailer.

R E C O M M E N D A T I O N
buy, rent, or pass?

Rent for me, although if you particularly enjoy performances by the three stars you'll probably want to buy it. An enjoyable entertainment, but it could have been even more satisfying with greater attention to character development.

(Reviewed by Peter A. Martin; February 28, 2002)

THIS DVD IS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AT HKFLIX.COM