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Tiramisu |
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Nicholas Tse and Karena Lam take a dip in Tiramisu. |
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Year: |
2002 |
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Director: |
Dante
Lam Chiu-Yin |
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Cast: |
Nicholas Tse Ting-Fung,
Karena Lam Ka-Yan,
Eason Chan Yik-Shun,
Candy Lo Hau-Yam, Vincent
Kok Tak-Chiu, Eliza Chan Kit-Ling |
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The
Skinny: |
Ambitious
fantasy-romance from director Dante Lam reaches too high to
create a HK-style Titanic, but ultimately finds itself
without anything to stand on. However, Nicholas Tse, Karena
Lam and Candy Lo all give fine performances. |
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Review
by Kozo: |
As
a film, Tiramisu defies classification. Is it a drama?
A romance? A Fame-inspired inspirational dance extravaganza?
Or a modern update of the classic Chinese Ghost Story
formula? Writer-director Dante Lam doesn't seem to be sure.
Either that, or he's so sold on his over-the-top mixture of
emotional plot devices that he simply believes it'll all work
out in the end. Regardless of his intent or confidence in
his material, the result is all over the place. Tiramisu
is sometimes tasty, but messy and probably bad for you.
Speed racer Nicholas Tse stars
as Fung, a deaf postal worker who has the lucky fortune of
experiencing Chungking Express-like serendipity with
lovely dancer Jane (Karena Lam). In the span of one day, the
two manage to cross paths a total of four times, including
two heart-throbbing meetings on the MTR. On their last meeting,
she drops a book (how original!) and he decides to return
it to her by waiting at their chance meeting places.
Except Jane never shows. Fung
can only wonder why until he's educated in the vagaries of
fate. It seems Jane got hit by a bus meaning she's no longer
in the here and now. Luckily, she was thinking of Fung at
the same time he was thinking of her, so now he has the ability
to see and hear her undead form. Ghost rules stipulate that
she can only come out at night, so in the day she resides
in Fung's body, endowing him with the ability to hear and
even dance like the talented Jane. The two can also stake
out Jane's previous life, which was on the up-and-up until
the bus posterized her. She and her dance company were due
for a major dance competition, and Jane's dance with partner
Tina (Candy Lo) was supposed to be highlight of the whole
thing. With only seven days until the competition, can the
dance troup pull it together? And how can Fung help?
That set-up seems fairly clear,
with the dance competition providing the narrative "ticking
clock". However, things get dicey thanks to the presence
of the "Ghost Cops," demonic horse-riding apparitions
who are supposed to drag Jane into the underworld. She hides
out with Fung to escape them, but they seem to be everywhere
our heroes go. Their interference could spell doom for the
dance troupe, and more importantly the burgeoning romance
between the Fung and Jane.
The main problem with Tiramisu
isn't its straight dramatic tone, which is sometimes so pronounced
that it could induce laughter, but it's fast-and-loose metaphysics
that make absolutely no sense. The rules of the afterlife
in Tiramisu seem to revolve around whatever will make
things better and/or worse for Fung and Jane. The myraid of
obstacles that prevent the two potential lovers from finding
happiness is meant to provide conflict and tension, but those
obstacles don't follow a logical course. They arise out of
the narrative need for Fung and Jane to have problems - or
overcome them. How is Fung allowed to chase Jane into the
underworld? Why is she in a big French-looking castle, waiting
to be saved? And can you actually take a picture of a ghost?
The introduction of these various plot devices are meant to
affect, but Tiramisu doesn't tug heartstrings. It yanks
your chain.
The film would have done better
to spend more of its time with the winning chemistry between
Karena Lam and Nicholas Tse. Despite spouting a variety of
canned platitudes, Lam turns in an affecting, disciplined
performance that's refreshing compared to the Joey Yungs and
Cecilia Cheungs that Nicholas Tse normally works with. Tse
demonstrates why he's at the top of every "future star"
list in Hong Kong. He's a charismatic actor who has a seemingly
unlimited range. It's hard to believe that HK Cinema's bad
boy could play such sympathetic characters, but he does so
convincingly. It's especially fun to watch Fung discover his
newfound ability to hear, as it plays to Tse's physical acting
strengths.
Director-writer Lam did well
to cast the two young stars, but he overloads the film with
metaphysical weirdness and questionable side details. The
actual dessert Tiramisu pops up here and there, but its connection
to the film is paper-thin. Fung's deafness is an interesting
detail, but it serves no ostensible thematic purpose. Ditto
the use of Eason Chan, who turns in a shrill performance as
Fung's horoscope-obssessed roommate. Candy Lo turns in an
affecting supporting performance, but the scenes between her
and Chan seem to exist only to tease the audience with another
potential popstar pairing.
Furthermore, the narrative choices
Lam makes in the second half of the film are extremely questionable.
In these ghost-human romances, it's best to keep the tragedy
between the two star-crossed lovers and not extend it to the
majority of the cast. Having everyone get all teary is probably
meant to increase audience sympathy exponentially, but it
can also induce some numb head-shaking. Tiramisu is
a worthwhile diversion for fans of the principal cast, but
as a coherent cinematic experience it falls quite short of
its lofty goals. (Kozo 2002) |
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Availability: |
DVD
(Hong Kong)
Region 0 NTSC
Universe Laser
Widescreen
Cantonese and Mandarin Language Tracks
Dolby Digital 5.1 / DTS 5.1
Removable English and Chinese Subtitles |
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image courtesy
of Universe
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Copyright ©2002-2017 Ross Chen
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