Like most typical HK flicks, this remake of The Bodyguard from comedy director Lee Lik-Chee has an identity crisis from the get go. The film can’t decide whether it’s a comedy or a thriller, so it switches between the two awkwardly. However, what’s left proves to be surprisingly enjoyable. 

Leon Lai is Lai, a New Territories cop who longs for new challenges in the urban areas of HK. He ends up leaving his mom Ha Ping and devoted cousin Sandra Ng (in a thankless role) and journeys to the city, where he gets assigned to guard up-and-coming singer Cindy (Sammi Cheng), which bothers him for lots of reasons. Among others, he hates the idea of babysitting a spoiled star and worse, he has to pretend he’s gay to fit into her all-gay entourage (Wyman Wong, Vincent Kok, and Joe Cheng). 

Of course, Cindy turns out to be an absolute angel, so Lai falls hard and fast for her. Truth to tell, it isn’t hard to see why. Sammi Cheng turns in a nuanced, engaging performance that surprises. In contrast to the hyperactive antics of most newbie HK starlets, Cheng possesses a natural, magnetic charm that carries the film beyond its conventional HK multi-genre trappings. Whatever enjoyment the film brings results from the interaction between her and Leon Lai, who departs from his usual personality-less acting. He’s amazingly likable and even sympathetic, and his wooden acting seems quite fitting for his character. 

The film also is a fun spoof of HK’s entertainment industry. Sadly, the whole thing devolves into an obsessed fan story, complete with letters in blood and pictures of Cindy pasted on the wall. Most HK films devolve when plot gets in the way, which is surprising because in American films it’s the lack of a story that usually kills a flick. HK Cinema is unparalleled in its “moments,” and Killing Me Tenderly has some very good ones. Most of them happen to involve Sammi Cheng. (Kozo 1997)

image courtesy of Mei Ah Laser Disc Co., Ltd.