Till death do us part (1998)



	Till death do us part		Return to Review Archive - T
	\| review \| awards \| availability \|		Anita Yuen
	Year:	1998
	Director:	Daniel Lee Yan-Kong
	Producer:	Derek Yee Tung-Sing
	Cast:	Anita Yuen Wing-Yee, Alex Fong Chung-Sun, Almen Wong Pui-Ha, Francis Ng Chun-Yu, Astrid Chan Chi-Ching, Damian Lau Chung-Yun, Henry Fong Ping, Joe Ma Wai-Ho, Xiong Xin-Xin
	The Skinny:	The downer of the year. This depressing divorce drama is also affecting and even haunting, and features fine performances by Anita Yuen and Francis Ng.
	Review by Kozo:	This harrowing divorce drama is a well-made, thoughtful film that is compelling in every way - except personally. Anita Yuen stars as Bobo, a childish, immature wife who loses husband Alex (Alex Fong) to another woman. A writer of children’s fairy tales, the harshness of reality takes an incredible toll on her. Not helping matters is the self-righteousness of other woman Belle (Almen Wong), who’s cruel to Bobo for not being the woman who can provide Alex with what he needs. Bobo struggles with denial, then rage, and finally madness. That she’s emotionally immature makes the process increasingly tragic - we’re literally watching someone self-immolate onscreen. It’s disturbing to watch Yuen in this role as she plays a weak-willed, incapable person who has the potential to be saved - but is denied. To feel sympathy for her, one must go beyond the natural aversion for someone weak and pathetic - because to identify with such a person acknowledges our own personal weaknesses. That said, it is possible to feel for Bobo, but the experience is terribly painful. It is a testament to Anita Yuen’s performance that our sympathy for her swings so dramatically. You can see why Alex is leaving her, but she remains altogether human and identifiable. The largest weakness of the film is with Belle. She clearly cares for Alex, but her cruelty and lurid haughtiness towards Bobo borders on the comic. Francis Ng turns in good support as the kind-hearted lawyer who aids Bobo in her time of crisis. There are complex issues that the film brings up, but not all of them rate closure. Even though this is a serious film, it can be easily summed up with one single phrase: IT ALL GOES TO HELL. This is a dark, dark movie and a sure downer. It’s hard to truly like the film but it is worthy of respect. (Kozo 1998)
	Awards:	18th Annual Hong Kong Film Awards • Nomination - Best Actress (Anita Yuen Wing-Yee)
	Availability:	DVD (Hong Kong) Region 0 NTSC Universe Laser Widescreen Cantonese and Mandarin Language Tracks Dolby Digital 5.1 English and Chinese Subtitles

		image courtesy of Universe Laser and Video Co., Ltd.
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