Andy Lau conceived this film as an antidote to the general spiritual malaise that swept the world in the wake of the World Trade Centre bombings: it went together fast, and was intended to make people in Hong Kong smile and feel good again. Andy himself was stuck in Toronto, having gone there with Johnnie To to promote Fulltime Killer, and didn’t make it to Australia in time for the Melbourne concert to which I had a damn good seat. Not that I’m bitter, lordy lordy no.
And it’s not a bad film, overall, despite a rather unpleasant twist near the end. Andy looks good enough to eat in tight dancin’ gear, and Anita Mui is professional but doesn’t get to show her full dazzle, alas. But this film belongs to Sandra Ng. Her character is ditzy but appealing, giving her the chance to show off to the full the charm she displayed again in Golden Chicken. And she really is charming. Charming enough to carry the whole movie, although she’s ably supported by Andy and Anita, along with a good supporting cast.
There’s some lovely moments, the sort of simple good times that make you think warm fuzzy thoughts about your friends. It’s a film about friendship, rather than love, and in that it succeeds very well. I imagine it would make even a truculent Nobby No-mates feel generally well-disposed towards humanity. It’s not a work of art, nor is it a polished blockbuster film. It’s just a nice gentle celebration of friendship that might help you to appreciate the people around you, and the simple things in life.