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Review
by Kozo: |
Director
Joe Ma assembles an impressive cast for his comedy
Three of a Kind. Not only does he corral former
king of comedy Michael Hui into a starring role (Hui
had a cameo in this year's blockbuster Fantasia),
but Ma also enlists the services of the dependable
Lau Ching-Wan and the consistent, though sometimes
overbearing Miriam Yeung. The result: some fine comic
performances and a film that nearly soars based on
its lead actors' chemistry alone. Sadly, the rest
of Three of a Kind isn't so spectacular, and
is more notable for its lack of cohesion and overstuffed,
plodding storyline than anything else. Joe Ma finds
the occasional engaging moment, and the stars do their
best to make the whole shebang work. But when Three
of a Kind ends, it's an event that was long awaited.
Michael Hui stars as
famous wuxia novelist Dragon Lone, a popular figure
whose career has been stalled by a thirteen-year bout
of writer's block. Regardless, Lone has numerous fans
and followers, the latter of which can sometimes be
stalker-like in their fervent, sweaty devotion. Lone
also has a daughter, the charming and filial Sophia
(a purple-haired Miriam Yeung), who works for famous
interior designer Frankie (Lau Ching Wan) and still
resides with single dad Lone. Director-writer Joe
Ma wastes no time in setting up his characters egregiously
overdrawn issues. Lone has a complicated history having
to do with his dad (Lo Meng), who never wanted his
son to fight—ergo he became a writer of martial
arts novels. Lone also wants his daughter to stay
his daughter forever, and is leery of her finding
a guy of her own. When Frankie shows up at Lone and
Sophia's house to stay (his house has burnt down),
you can expect sparks to fly.
Which they do, though with
off-and-on frequency. Right away Lone tortures his
new houseguest, but Frankie is quick to demonstrate
his innocence in all matters concerning Sophia. Frankie
demonstrates that he's a major player, so he can't
really be interested in Sophia. And that's true...for
the first half hour, maybe. Eventually Frankie undergoes
one of those life-changing mid-life crises, which
shows up almost out of nowhere to plague the avowed
ladies man. Meanwhile, Sophia's feelings are undetermined,
though Miriam Yeung makes them obvious with every
sidelong glance and subtle smile. Lone is too busy
to notice his own daughter's obvious pining, and has
his own minor relationship issues (with Elaine Kam,
sporting unflattering purple-highlighted hair) to
bother him, plus his continuing writer's block. When
a possible relationship between Frankie and Sophia
is broached, you can expect Dad to go off the deep
end, right?
Well yeah, though once again
the frequency is off-and-on. Joe Ma and his consortium
of screenwriters (including frequent collaborator
Matt Chow) set up pretty solid conflicts, but bury
them beneath lots of back-and-forth shtick and pontificating
on the perils of modern-day relationships. The writers
particularly go overboard with one major metaphor
comparing life partners to cell phones, a somewhat
witty gag that's amusing the first time, but loses
its humor value when its invoked for the umpteenth
time. The metaphor serves the same purpose that it
does in every Joe Ma movie, meaning that it cuts straight
to the core of whatever postmodern crises his characters
are facing. Well, it worked in Feel 100%, but
it doesn't seem to work here. Ma lingers for too long
on certain character issues, which ultimately renders
the film somewhat of a plodding comedy spectacle.
Stuff happens, but not very quickly.
Basically, the characters
of Three of a Kind must learn to move on with
their lives and recognize the feelings of those close
to them, though the roundabout and sometimes tiresome
way the characters discover this could tax the patience
of Mother Teresa, let alone your average ADD-addled
moviegoer. In addition to the family comedy, there
are numerous outside gags relating to Lone's celebrity,
including wacky stalkers and some fantasy weirdness
where Lone begins imagining everyone around him as
wuxia heroes. Again, the asides are amusing, but they
also stretch on for eternity. Crosscutting and parallel
storytelling is supposed to be economical, but Joe
Ma uses the film techniques in jarring and annoyingly
time-extending ways. Sometimes it's better to just
tell a joke and move on. The way Ma returns to his
comedy, you'd think he were referencing some classic
comedy goldmine and not something that happened only
five minutes ago.
But—and this is
a big "but"—the actors go the extra
mile to make Three of a Kind entertaining,
and even winning stuff. Michael Hui's comic timing
and innate humanity make him a lovable, though decidedly
strange father figure, and Lau Ching-Wan is able to
bring charisma and even subtle integrity to his stock
character of a womanizer who decides he wants to settle
down. In a more surprising and welcome development,
Miriam Yeung tones down the mouthy, wacky act that
has been her usual screen persona, and instead plays
an intelligent, lovable girl who's well worth rooting
for. In the hands of these actors, the characters'
emotional trials sometimes take on believable and
even affecting life. The affecting stuff is buried
beneath lots of screwy silliness, but Joe Ma does
reveal some of his strengths at the film's core. Since
even before his Feel 100% days, Ma has had
a better-than-average handle on the slippery, quirky
charms of love and affection, and there are occasional
moments in Three of a Kind where that shines
through. You have the survive the film's epic roundabout
storyline and sometimes interminable pacing, but deep
down, it's there. Somewhere. (Kozo 2004) |
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