The release of police thriller Infernal Affairs in December
2002 provided a much-needed boost after a poor year
for the Hong Kong film industry. Making more than
US$7.1 million over the festive holidays, the Andrew Lau
and Alan-Mak-directed movie lifted spirits after a slump in
production numbers saw 92 local films released over the
year, of which only 67 were shot on 35mm. Films in traditionally
strong mid-year holiday seasons performed
poorly while in off-peak months mainstream cinemagoers
were left with little to attract them to ticket windows. For
much of the year moviegoers knew little about what local
films were coming, as advance schedules stayed unclear
and low-budget features crept into cinemas without fanfare
in anticipation of quick VCD and DVD release. About
one-third of cinema releases in 2002 were shot on digital
video (DV) and nearly all of these played for seven days
each.
Infernal Affairs, which shared Christmas cinema slots with
Zhang Yimou’s Hero and Samson Chiu’s Golden Chicken,
garnered unusually strong word of mouth among moviegoers
initially attracted by an all-star cast of Andy Lau,
Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Sammi Cheng, Edison Chen, Shawn
Yue and Kelly Chen. Though polished in production standards,
the film was unusually thin on the expensive effects
and action work that have typified Hong Kong blockbuster
filmmaking in recent years. Instead, it was the script by
Felix Chong and Alan Mak about triads infiltrating the police
force, and superb acting from Andy Lau and Anthony
Wong Chau-sang, that touched audiences and prompted
glowing recommendations.
Few other local movies generated such unexpected positive
good word among viewers in 2002 - the Pang
brothers’ horror film The Eye, which like Infernal Affairs
had its remake rights bought in the US, was also notable
in this regard. As Infernal Affairs continued its theatrical
run into February, the film’s overwhelming success proved
that Hongkongers are still willing to spend on movies
at cinemas, even in economic uncertainty, and are receptive
to quality work behind the camera. Producer Media
Asia announced a prequel to Infernal Affairs while it was
still in cinemas and a possible sequel to the original is in
planning too.
Throughout 2002 Hong Kong citizens felt increasing
pressure from economic uncertainty, rising unemployment,
lagging consumer confidence and falling property
prices. Picking up on this, several local filmmakers referenced
society’s changes as they tried to woo ticket
buyers. Golden Chicken typified this theme by charting the
rise and fall of the city’s fortunes through the story of
prostitute Kam (Sandra Ng). Rising through the ranks to
a glitzy nightclub in Hong Kong’s boom years before
taking up self-sufficient one-woman brothel work today,
Kam’s tale deftly echoed the city’s development while
capturing audience sympathy.
Herman Yau’s Shark Busters tackled economic woes
head-on. In what could have been a routine low-budget
police thriller, Yau turned the film’s attention to cops
struggling with personal finances. Drawing on newspaper
reports and adapting real-life scenarios to the screen,
Yau’s characters dealt with devalued property, spiraling
debts and ruthless loan sharking. Although released at a
small number of cinemas, the film generated praise
among cinemagoers and won accolades from the city’s
critics.
Directors tackling Hong Kong’s misfortunes through
comedies included Johnnie To and Wai Ka-fai, Joe Ma and
Derek Chiu. To and Wai got the ball rolling at Chinese New
Year with Fat Choi Spirit, which used a cheerful mahjong
plot to advise cinemagoers that it’s okay to be a loser. A
couple of months later, Ma’s Love Undercover trumpeted
teamwork in a snappy, fast-moving comedy. Chiu’s humorous
Frugal Game, released mid-year, saw two families go
head-to-head in a reality TV show in which teams had to
spend a bare minimum to survive.
Amid the downbeat sentiments that prevailed in 2002,
nostalgia became a strong cultural trend in Hong Kong as
people remembered better times. From the use of decades-
old song lyrics in the government’s budget speech
to anti-littering TV advertisements curiously set in the
1970s, Hongkongers increasingly looked back as they
tried to move forward. Hong Kong cinema in 2002, in
turn, reflected this in various ways.
Riley Ip directed the year’s ultimate nostalgia piece in Just
One Look. Set on Cheung Chau Island, the film transplants
youth stars Wong You-nam, Shawn Yue, Charlene Choi and
Gillian Chung into a small Seventies village setting. Telling
a semi-autobiographical story of a boy growing up, Just
One Look provided not only a look back at an old community
but also paid tribute to the cinemagoing experience
of the past. The mix of new stars and nostalgia guided
the film towards two different audience groups with a deft
hand - both young and old could find something to tickle
fancies. In one scene, featuring a fictitious snippet of a
swordplay movie, teens could admire their idols dueling
while older viewers recognised a rendition of King Hu’s
Sixties wuxia filmmaking.
Other films covering nostalgia included Patrick Leung’s Demi-Haunted and Wilson Yip’s The Mummy, Aged 19. For
Demi-Haunted, director Leung drew on the locations and
community fixtures of his youth to complement the story
of a ghost opera singer trying to finish a performance cut
short decades earlier. In The Mummy, Aged 19, Yip incorporated
memories of the city’s old suburban amusement
parks and support of the family unit as the story explored
the much more sensational topic of mummies. Chin
Kar-lok’s No Problem 2 also presented entertainment for
nostalgic film fans, with scenes drawing on old action styles
and classic local film references to create a cheery
throwback to older Hong Kong cinema.
Comedies played to mixed responses as the year went on,
despite appearing to be the way ahead for the film industry
at the end of 2001. Successful comedies in 2002
included Love Undercover, Summer Breeze of Love and
The Lion Roars from Joe Ma; Jeff Lau’s yellow plum opera
update A Chinese Odyssey 2002; Patrick Leung and Chan
Hing-ka’s office farce Mighty Baby; and Johnnie To and
Wai Ka-fai’s summer hit My Left Eye Sees Ghosts. Other
comedies of note but gaining less attention at the cinemas,
included Frugal Game, Andrew Lau and Raymond
Yip’s Women From Mars, Raymond Yip’s Beauty and the
Breast, Lo Kim-wah’s The Irresistible Piggies, Adrian
Kwan’s If U Care and James Yuen’s My Wife is 18.
Horror and supernatural themes continued to exploit their
steady niche in Hong Kong cinema. The Pang brothers’
horror entry The Eye spurred unprecedented word-ofmouth
for a local horror film and remained in cinemas for
more than a month. Telling the tale of a girl recovering
from blindness and seeing ghosts, the film boasted an
impressive performance by Angelica Lee. More serious
horror goings-on appeared in Soi Cheang’s New Blood,
Law Chi-leung’s Inner Senses and Steve Cheng’s Sleeping
with the Dead. Films featuring supernatural elements
alongside comedy and drama included My Left Eye Sees
Ghosts, Demi-Haunted, Sam Leong’s The Stewardess
and Abe Kwong’s Visible Secret II. The long-running
Troublesome Night series of movies, now shot on DV, reached
its 17th installment in December.
Action and thrillers trailed in 2002 before Infernal Affairs
arrived. The most surprising development, however, was
the revival of the girls-with-guns genre through Corey
Yuen’s So Close and Ching Siu-tung’s Naked Weapon. So
Close - a Columbia Tristar production - presented an
attractive cast in a scenario that reminded local viewers
of old-style Hong Kong screen action. Naked Weapon
also slotted girls and their guns back into movie schedules
but attracted dismal domestic returns. Pre-sold
abroad during production, the film was presented almost
entirely in English and had little local flavour.
The poor responses to high-budget and effects-heavy
movies was unexpected. These films mostly underwhelmed
at the box office. Peter Pau’s highly anticipated The
Touch failed to meet local expectations and was particularly
criticised by audiences for poor CGI work. Two other
effects-heavy films also performed poorly: Andrew Lau’s
The Wesley’s Mysterious File and Sylvia Chang and Yuen
Kam-lun’s Princess D, which both arrived in cinemas after
long drawn-out production periods.
Sammi Cheng became the top draw for 2002, leading the
three most popular Cantonese productions. Cheng set the
pace when Marry A Rich Man was released in February.
The Chinese New Year production, in which Cheng gets
hoodwinked on a Europe trip with Richie Yen, held top
slot in the box office charts until the Christmas films
appeared. In summer, Cheng was in the season’s topgrosser
My Left Eye Sees Ghosts, taking the lead role
alongside a Lau Ching-wan’s ghost character. Cheng was
also slipped into Infernal Affairs for an unnecessary supporting
role, doubtless boosting the film’s appeal as it
headed into cinemas. As 2003 began, Cheng’s winning
streak continued in Johnnie To and Wai Ka-fai’s Chinese
New Year box office champ Love For All Seasons.
Miriam Yeung shook off local comparisons with Cheng in
2002 and came into her own as a steady performer in a
variety of films. Building on the success of 2001’s
Dummy Mommy, Without a Baby, Yeung pulled in good
numbers with Love Undercover and the wonderfully titled
Dry Wood Fierce Fire. The latter, a Wilson Yip film, had
Yeung blending traditional medicine, kung-fu and romance for eclectic entertainment. Yeung’s next work in Frugal
Game proved less popular among audiences but, come
Chinese New Year 2003, she was wooing crowds again in
My Lucky Star alongside Tony Leung Chiu-wai.
Other actresses putting in popular turns were Cecilia
Cheung and pop idols Twins (Charlene Choi and Gillian
Chung). Cheung, hounded incessantly by the local media,
starred in Jeff Lau’s ambitious US-set time travel flick
Second Time Around before being a main draw in Mighty
Baby and The Lion Roars. Twins meanwhile made a rapid
rise to become Hong Kong’s highest profile pop sensations
for 2002. Twins didn’t set the box office on fire consistently
- Chung starred in the highly enjoyable but largely
unnoticed trash flick U-Man at the start of the year -
but recent work by Twins both separate and together on
screen has shown plenty of promise.
In 2003 the pair will headline vampire film The Twins
Effect, which was pre-sold in several territories before
shooting wrapped. More actresses of note in 2002 included
Anita Mui with a stunning role in Ann Hui’s July
Rhapsody; Sandra Ng, whose Golden Chicken performance
put a lively face to economic hardship; and Niki Chow,
who showed an intensity in New Blood not suggested in
her previous work.
Andy Lau remained top of the table as Hong Kong’s most
bankable male lead, despite a poor showing for The
Wesley’s Mysterious File. Fat Choi Spirit came a close
second among the local Chinese New Year films in 2002
and at Christmas both Infernal Affairs and a Golden
Chicken cameo confirmed his enduring appeal.
Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Leslie Cheung, Ekin Cheng, Eason
Chan and Lau Ching-wan all continued to secure highprofile
roles across festive season and off-peak fare
spanning the genres. Jacky Cheung also made an impressive
return to the silver screen in July Rhapsody. Anthony
Wong Chau-sang made a different kind of comeback;
moving from B-grade films back to critical acclaim for
supporting roles in Princess D, Just One Look and
Infernal Affairs.
There was less opportunity for new talent in Hong Kong
cinema during 2002 compared to the previous year, both
behind and in front of the cameras. Whereas 2001 saw
mainstream crossovers and introductions for the likes of
writer/directors GC Goo-bi, Soi Cheang and Edmond Pang
plus the arrival of actors like Zeny Kwok and Cherrie Ying,
2002 simply had fewer releases available for auspicious
debuts. New directors were seen in the indie realm
instead, most notably Lam Wah-chuen with The Runaway
Pistol and Louis Tan with Dare Ya! Among actors in major
productions, Angelica Lee and Karena Lam made the
year’s most eye-catching first appearances in the industry.
Taiwan-born Lee made waves with her lead role in
The Eye and later appealed in Princess D. Lam displayed
remarkable confidence and skill on screen in a string of
films all released during March: July Rhapsody, Inner
Senses and Tiramisu.
Elsewhere, Wong You-nam made a strong move into film
with three 2002 releases, following the lead of his partner
in singing group Shine, Tsui Tien-you (Glass Tears).
Another young singer moving into film is Yumiko Cheng,
who debuted in Demi-Haunted. In lower-budget territory,
Brian Ireland had a well-received first lead role in Shark
Busters and Kasugai Seina came from Japan for a delightful
multi-genre performance in The Stewardess.
Tim Youngs