DVD Hong Kong Universe Region 0 111 minutes Directed by Dante Lam Screenplay Chan Man Yau Lee Lok Wah Story by Dante Lam With Nicholas Tse Karena Lam Eason Chan Candy Lo Available to purchase at HKFlix.com 
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Home | Upcoming | Reviews | In Cinemas | Links | Features | Editorials | Search R E V I E W Tiramisu (2002) As an associate of Gordon Chan, Dante Lam worked on a number of action films before his debut effort in 1997, the underrated Option Zero. He co-directed Beast Cops with Gordon Chan in 1998. The off-kilter crime film Jiang Hu: the Triad Zone brought favorable notice in 2000. Even when not entirely successful (Hit Team), his films have been interesting (especially Runaway). This film opened in Hong Kong cinemas at the end of March 2002. MOVIE Plot: Jane, a dancer, tells her little sister that tiramisu (an extremely sweet desert) tastes like love. Ko Fung, deaf since an accident robbed him of his hearing, begins to encounter Jane unexpectedly as he goes about his day job as a messenger. He thinks about her at night as he works on a cleaning crew. A bittersweet romance ensues. Production/Performances: Gentle, sweet, and melancholy, the film is achingly romantic. At the same time, director Dante Lam composes each shot carefully and uses a pleasing variety of swooping pans, intense close-ups, and handheld camera work in order to maximize the emotional impact. Lam, who also wrote the story, is ambitious and audacious. His ambition is demonstrated by his willingness to push the limits of the story firmly into the fantastical while grounding it in earth-bound realities. His audacity is shown with a clever scene wherein we watch a dance group move from tears to tap dancing in grief and celebration over the loss of their friend. And he also creates scenes full of memorable imagery. Sometimes it's nightmarish, as when horse-mounted cops pursue a large group of children at a nighttime carnival. At other times it's whimsical, as in brief looks at a rollerblading cleaning crew or a volunteer jackhammer operator. To my mind, the film avoids being overly sentimental, thanks to a letter-perfect performance by Karena Lam (as Jane) and a very good one by Nicholas Tse (as Ko Fung). The goofy interludes with Eason Chan (as Ko Fung's roommate) and the dark brooding by Candy Lo (as Jane's best friend) provide a welcome counterpoint to the main romantic relationship. Other reviewers have found the film to be blatant, overbearing, silly, boring, and not very good. So I suppose this is another case where I may be in the minority in recommending this film. Perhaps it's just my mood tonight, but I was completely taken in by it. The lush, gorgeous photography is credited to Chan Chi-Ying (Tokyo Raiders, Bakery Amour). Pater Wong Bing-Yiu provided the art direction. Chan Kei-Hop edited the film. Tommy Wai Kai-Leung composed the lovely musical score, which employed the full complement of an orchestra (though much, if not all, was synthesized). Rating: Category IIA for adult themes. DVD Look: Superb. The letterboxed presentation displayed deep black levels, colors were well saturated, and flesh tones were reproduced accurately. The source print was quite clean. Sound: I listened to the DTS Cantonese track, which sounded rich and deep, with an expansive sound field and excellent reproduction of the musical score. Also included are DD 5.1 and DD 2.0 Cantonese tracks, and a DD 5.1 Mandarin dubbed track. Subtitles: The white removable English subtitles were well timed and easy to read, although a number of minor misspellings were noted. Also included are traditional and simplified Chinese subtitles. Features: Two key extras are included: a 13-minute "making of" (interviews & behind-the-scenes footage, but lacking English subtitles) and a deleted scene (a somewhat different end sequence, nearly eight minutes in length, also without English subtitles). The original theatrical trailer is included, as are trailers for Funeral March, Inner Senses, July Rhapsody, and Every Dog Has His Date. Stars' files in Chinese and English are provided for Nicholas Tse, Eason Chan, and Dante Lam, along with one in Chinese only for Karena Lam. Eight chapters can be selected from a video capture menu. RECOMMENDATION Wonderful bittersweet romance with high-quality production values and several excellent performances. Home | Upcoming | Reviews | In Cinemas | Links | Features | Editorials | Search |