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Review
by Kozo: |
Like last year's Dummy
Mommy without a Baby, Derek Chiu's comedy Frugal
Game takes its cue from Hong Kong's economic woes. Both
films feature protagonists who are victims of redundancy,
and who cheat to gain money and beat the system. And, both
movies also feature Miriam Yeung Chin-Wah. The similarities
end there. Sure, both movies ask that their characters be
forgiven for chicanery in the face of economic depression,
but Frugal Game actually makes its characters likable.
Wai (Eric Tsang) is the father
of two kids, the elder of which is college graduate Chin-Wah
(Miriam Yeung). Without a job since graduation, Chin-Wah
handles the home while Dad is off working at a hotel. Or
so he says. In fact, he was laid off months earlier by evil
supervisor Diana (Carol Cheng). Wai now passes his time
in a fast food restaurant along with numerous other unemployed
workers, all using their cell phones to hunt for jobs or
even run their businesses. Things are so dire that when
the restaurant advertises for cleaning people, some even
offer to work for food. It's almost like Silicon Valley.
However, Wai gets an offer
from the newly-unemployed Diana. She wants to compete in
"Frugal Game," a reality TV show where families
of unemployed individuals compete. She's unmarried (and
is actually a sugar mommy to jerky bastard Conroy Chan),
and wants Wai's family to create the family of four that's
required to compete. Though hesitant, Wai and his family
eventually agree. The contest runs like this: each family
lives in an assigneed candy-colored apartment for a week,
and has only 500 HK dollars to spend. They can't get help
from specific external forces (i.e. charity, friends, etc.),
and must pay to use the apartment's numerous facilities
(TV, bathroom, and utilities). At the end of the week, the
family with the most money wins.
The actual game show contest
is where the majority of the film's comedy takes place.
The opposing family features Lai Yiu-Cheung and Josie Ho
in broad comic performances, and we're really not supposed
to take them seriously. However, whatever shtick occurs
in Wai's family is meant to speak volumes about their unity
and trust as a family, which isn't there because Diana isn't
really a member of the family! She's just a hanger-on who
wants the money for herself. Carol Cheng has a difficult
job of making Diana likable, but thanks to some plot twists
and Cheng's long-missed presence, she pulls it off.
Faring even better is Miriam
Yeung, who manages to use her usual comic persona for an
effect greater than reactionary laughs. Chin-Wah is essentially
the center of the family, and Yeung's endearing energy makes
rooting for the Wai family easy. Eason Chan turns in a surprising
performance as director Siu Hap ("Little Hero").
He's the director of "Frugal Game," but he actually
wants to make kung-fu dramas starring Ti Lung. He also gets
the budding romance with Chin-Wah, and despite the obviousness
of the subplot, the two actors make it work with fine chemisty
and (unusually) subdued acting.
With all that going for it,
it's surprising that the film never takes off as a truly
winning comedy. This might be the fault of director Derek
Chiu, who isn't a very strong comedy director. Dramas or
thrillers are his usual bag, and the thoughtfulness he lends
Frugal Game is as energy-sapping as it is affecting.
He makes the material more worthy than ninety minutes of
fluff, but he doesn't punctuate the comedy well. The gags
are almost an afterthought to the film's underlying themes
and its ultimate message.
Thankfully, that message is
a timely and even worthy one. The film reminds us that honesty
and hard work - even in the most seemingly undesirable jobs
- has its rewards, and may eventually lead to more results
than initially imagined. The result of the game show shouldn't
be what we're left with, and it's not. Instead, we are reminded
that what matters is what people do with what they already
have. And while some might decry that as saccarine wishful
thinking, it's probably the right message to throw out in
these uncertain economic times. (Kozo 2002) |
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