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Review
by Kozo: |
Eric Tsang is Nam, a smalltime producer at Channel 1 who's
eager for the success of his younger years. Seeing an opportunity
in the flamboyant antics of washed-up, third-grade singer
Kenny (Francis Ng), Nam decides to promote his old friend
to gain public awareness and support. Kenny's loony stunts
and bizarre diva-like behavior make him the talk of the town,
and with Nam in tow, the two dominate the airwaves. Soon they're
called upon to headline the big New Year's show. However,
circumstances occur that force program manager Yiu (Maggie
Siu) to ask that Kenny be removed from the program. Will Nam
betray his friend or stand up to management and give Kenny
center stage?
The bottom line of this bizarre comedy
is a tried-and-true question: would you sell your soul to
gain fame and fortune? That's the essential crux of this media
satire from director Patrick Yau (Expect the Unexpected, The Longest Nite). The results are mixed, however.
Yau makes the audience work a bit too hard in understanding
the primary conflicts. And worse, he expects us to see the
massive importance of all of this. As a media satire the film
has some merit, but it sinks into too much slow-mo and buddy-buddy
clinches that are supposed to be touching.
The actors acquit
themselves well, and extra special credit must be given to
Francis Ng for his bizarre turn as Kenny. Ng plays Kenny as
sort of a professional performance artist, whose goal is not
just to steal the spotlight but to work some sort of a transcendent
media miracle. In Yau's mixed-up media world, these anti-heroes
can hit the big time and still retain their souls. That's
a great ending for a movie, but it's also a bit like having
your cake and eating it, too. (Kozo 2002) |
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