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Fractured
Follies |
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Year: |
1988 |
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Director: |
Wong
Chung |
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Producer: |
Dean
Shek |
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Cast: |
Chow
Yun-Fat, Joey
Wong Cho-Yin, Nina
Li Chi, James Wong
Jim, Wong Ching, Bonnie Law Ming-Chu,
Wong Yat-Fei |
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The
Skinny: |
Chow
Yun-Fat dresses up like a pineapple and romances Joey
Wong. You can guess the rest. |
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Review
by Kozo: |
Amiable comedy from Hong Kong’s
eighties heyday. Chow Yun-Fat is Joe, an aimless taxi
driver who hits May (Joey Wong), a sweet girl who’s
afflicted with a rare problem. It seems one of her legs
is one inch longer than the other. If that weren’t
enough indignity, Joe’s Douglas Hazelwood impression
leaves her in crutches for a good portion of the film.
In sympathy, Joe decides to help May's family and their
new grocery store, which is a run-down work-in-progress.
Love blooms along the way, a plot development that’s
helped by the always good chemistry between Chow Yun-Fat
and Joey Wong.
Sadly, they’re not the
entire movie. Unfortunate supporting characters wreck
the movie in unseen ways. James Wong Jim plays Joey’s
dad, and he’s a semi-insane drip who acts like
he’s racing a car to pass the time. What I mean
is he sits at home and pantomimes that he's driving
a race car. Why? Hell if I know. No reason is given,
and none is needed. It’s just stupid shtick and
it really does nothing to make me laugh or even chuckle.
James Wong's wacky and annoying performance is matched
by Nina Li as May’s equally wacky cousin.
If that isn’t enough,
there are wacky musical numbers that only increase the
effect. Watching Chow Yun-Fat dance and sing in a pineapple
getup must have made some audiences piss in their pants,
but I wasn't among them. As a performer, Chow’s
charisma is peerless, but he can’t save every movie
he’s in. There are better Chow comedies, i.e.
Diary of a Big Man or Eighth Happiness. This
movie is occasionally watchable, but probably for less
than half the time. (Kozo 1999) |
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Availability: |
DVD
(Hong Kong)
Region 0 NTSC
Universe Laser
Widescreen
Cantonese and Mandarin Language Tracks
Removable English and Chinese Subtitles |
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image
courtesy of AznFilms.com
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| LoveHKFilm.com
Copyright ©2002-2017 Ross Chen
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