R E V I E W :    Love Paradox 

Reviewed 12/23/00 | Background | Movie Review | DVD Review | Recommendation

  

Background 

Mei Ah / 2000 / 93 minutes
Directed by Clifton Ko Chi-Sum
Written by Erica Li (Lee Man)

The film was released theatrically in Hong Kong in late September 2000.

Movie: plot, performances, production, rating

Three dancers (who are neighbors in an apartment complex) are introduced with three different solutions to their love problems. Sau (Grace Yip Pui Man) is desperately annoying, constantly crying and helpless without her man. Her best friend Fong Fong (Annie Wu Chen-Chun) is desperately hungry for sex from her bored husband. Newly arrived Sean (Perry Chiu Woon) is not desperate at all; she's happy to take on any and all lovers.

Here are the problems as I saw them: as a comedy, it's not funny. As a romance, it lacks charm and heart. None of the characters engender sympathy or interest; quite the opposite, they actively annoy and irritate. This includes Sean, who appears calm and confident but is too much of a nymphomaniac to be believable. Looking on the bright side, the three lead female performers are attractive and it only lasts 93 minutes.

Director Clifton Ko Chi-Sum failed to elicit any heat from the performers. Screenwriter Erica Li (Lee Man) cooked up a boring stew out of potentially interesting ingredients. The photography (Jose Chan) may have been pretty on the big screen but on the little screen it looks flatly lit. The musical score is forgotten once the final credits roll.

The film is rated Category IIB. Sexual matters are discussed frequently and sometimes explicitly. Several bedroom scenes are depicted with naked backs, etc.

DVD: look, sound, subtitles, and features

Another hazy presentation by Mei Ah that looks washed out. Is it a reflection of the original photography or the mastering? I don't know. Few imperfections are noticeable in the source print.

Both Dolby 2.0 and 5.1 Cantonese and Mandarin audio tracks are provided. I listened to the Cantonese 5.1 track and it sounded excellent. Traditional and simplified Chinese removable subtitles are provided in addition to English; the English titles are large, white, easy to read, well-timed with few mistakes.

Nine chapters are provided with no time coding. The "data bank" contains a cast and crew listing and the synopsis from the back of the disk. The "best buy" consists of trailers for A War Named Desire (intriguing) and Help!!! (which makes it look more like an action film rather than the medical comedy it is).

Buy, rent, or pass?

Pass. A waste of time.

 

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