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Review
by Kozo: |
The man with the tan, popular actor Louis Koo, takes on
producing duties with Naked Ambition, an entertaining
but problematic look at Hong Kong's sex industry. Based
on the true-life exploits of co-writer Frankie Chung Kin-Keung,
the film details the rise of two guys (played by Koo and
Eason Chan) from lowly editors at a magazine to kings of
the local porn industry. Along the way there's laughs, jabs
at the porn industry, digs at their consumers, appearances
by some comely Hong Kong actresses, occasional no-name skin,
and then a final dip into the conflicts and moral issues
that might arise from running your own porn empire. That's
where Naked Ambition eventually derails. Directors
Dante Lam and Chan Hing-Kai (who also co-wrote) let their
film degrade from a potential satire into a pandering comedy-drama
that touts the strength of brotherhood. Huh?
John (Chan) and Andy (Koo)
are two comic section editors for a local publication who
get downsized unceremoniously. They join forces with some
of their former colleagues to publish their own magazine,
and use the savings of Andy's sweetheart girlfriend Pamela
(the ever-charming Cherrie Ying) to fund the enterprise.
Still, their first efforts aren't so well received, so they
turn to the lowest common denominator: porn. With the bottom
line as their guide, they decide to mimic Japanese sex guides
and create their own inside look at Hong Kong's underground
sex culture. The attempt turns out to be a success, and
soon they start their way up the industry's food chain.
They become a couple of guys who can make or break the fortunes
of prostitutes, massage parlors, and gentleman's clubs across
the territory, and as a result find an extreme amount of
popularity. Before too long they're the toast of their particular
niche market.
The details of John and Andy's
rise from nobodies to porn superpowers are actually telling
and quite funny. After publishing a negative review of a
particular establishment, they're approached by triads (led
by Tats Lau) who are unhappy with how they were rated. Some
of the prositutes Andy and John profile become celebrities
after seeing print. One (Jo Koo) gets lazy and resorts to
using a stand-in, meaning complaints to the magazine that
they're falsely informing their readers. Another (Josie
Ho) gets high marks for her fellatio technique, which leads
to more business than her jaw can handle. While off-color
and sometimes tasteless, the jokes lampooning the sex industry
do entertain in a self-deprecating, dirty sort of way.
But random observations about
the wacky life in the porn business can only get you so
far. Our heroes(?) do make it big, but what are the repercussions
on their personal lives? Andy has the innanely supportive
Pamela at home for him, and John has steady girlfriend Fanny
(Denise Ho), who also works for the magazine. Given the
fact that they're red-blooded males who rub elbows with
sexually active AND alluring females every day, you'd expect
SOMETHING to occur. Which it does. John and Andy may not
intend on straying from their significant others, but they
eventually do with sometimes pronounced glee. Look at it
this way: if you set some kids loose in a candy shop, THEY
WILL eat the candy. The morality of their business always
seems to be etched in stone, i.e. the guys are doing it
for the money. But, when your daily business leads you into
personally compromising positions, something's gotta give.
Something does give, though
it's not John and Andy. Their personal lives take hits,
but those losses are lingered on with only the bare minumum
of attention. More attention is given to what happens between
John and Andy, which is the usual rivalry one would expect
from two buddies who make it big. Andy has always been the
top man, and eventually John chafes at being second banana.
The two fight, part ways, and eventually meet once again,
but by the time all that happens, one has to wonder: is
this why we're watching this movie? To witness the affirmation
of friendship between two guys who let their libidos ruin
their personal lives, when frankly they should be given
good beatings? Naked Ambition never seems to moralize,
but the picture it paints isn't very comforting. Basically,
these two heels regularly cheat on their better halves,
the result of which is heartache (Andy eventually realizes
that Pamela is the one he really loves) or even more lies
(John lies bold-faced to Fanny about his straying ways).
Then they take out their problems on each other, kiss and
make up, and we're supposed to be happy?
Granted, not every movie should
be a family-friendly counsel on how to run our lives the
prescribed Christian way, but the filmmakers do their audience
a disservice by routinely running away from any and all
tough conflicts. Louis Koo's Andy is a slimy guy, but he's
eventually given a pat on the back for his "integrity"
in the ways of journalism. Likewise, Eason Chan's John gets
away with adultery, and he's still supposed to be a great
guy. That the two fellows remain friends is supposed to
be the payoff of this two-hour commercial for the Hugh Hefner
lifestyle, but shouldn't there be more at stake than the
buddy-buddy relationship of two cheaters? Louis Koo and
Eason Chan do play their roles with likable smarmy charisma,
but that doesn't change the fact that they're total heels.
With the above in mind, Naked
Ambition ultimately comes off as somewhat superficial.
It explores a ripe subject, but only milks some fun laughs
out of it. At the very least the actresses turn in some
fine supporting work. Josie Ho is impressive in a rather
sordid role, and Jo Koo and Niki Chow are animated and sexy.
It's a shame that the females are pushed behind the males
in this story, because they're infinitely more likable than
the guys leading the way. Where Naked Ambition fails
is not in its fun factor, as it provides eye candy and dirty
laughs for fans of the stars. Where it does fail is in its
handling of the subject matter, which could have been so
much more than a slight biopic celebrating the brotherhood
of two bozos. Those themes shouldn't be surprising, as they've
been shoehorned into nearly every film made by writer/director
Chan Hing-Kai since 1996. Well enough is enough; someone
should let him know that it's time to find some new material.
(Kozo 2004)
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