HOLLYWOOD HONG KONG

HOLLYWOOD HONG KONG
Heung gong yau gok hor lei wood

Director: Fruit Chan
Starring: Xun Zhuo as the beautiful Tung Tung, You-Nam Wong as the pimp-gone-wrong, Sze Ping Leung as the naive and good-hearted Tiny Chu and Glen Chin as Mr. Chu, amongst other great characters.
Screen date (HK): 2001

Date seen: 16.07.08
Reviewed by: neko

Trailer (Chinese):

Review: I saw this movie about four or five years ago, and I’ve been thinking of it ever since. I was finally lucky enough to get a hold of it, and to enjoy it once more. If this film doesn’t come out as one of the top ten dramas of the 21st century, then it’s just because not enough people know about it yet. But then again, to classify this as just a drama would be unfair. I’m also looking at an art movie, with serious black humor and social importance.

The story starts out with the family Chu, who runs a pig roasting shop in a Hong Kong shanty town. This isn’t your ordinary family, mind you - but it is obvious that these people are content with their life. We also get introduced to a young couple a few shacks away. It soon becomes obvious that this 18 year old boy is the local pimp, and his girlfriend/merchandise is one of his plans to be something big in this world. As he goes out to meet a new hooker, he sends his own girl to an overnight stay at Mr. Chu - a regular customer. The connection between our characters is established. The hooker he meets calls herself Tung Tung, played by the marvelous Xun Zhuo. She shares her dreams with this guy, and he can’t help but fall in love. This is no ordinary night.

From here, the story escalates. Tung Tung meets little Tiny Chu, who is deprived of friends as he has to work with the family business in his spare time. Tiny Chu welcomes Tung Tung with the happy-go-lucky naiveness of a child, and thus the web around our characters in this little shanty town is spun. This little quiet place on earth will never be the same again.

This is a story about family, friendship, dreams and love. But also about loss, social class and the development of a metropolis. This film is one of my all time favorites, and I would advice everyone to see it!

In words: Pigs, family, love, friendship, swing, flag, development, shanty town, big city, social class, new blood, affairs, dreams, barbecue, sex.

Reminds me of: No move I’ve ever seen.

Trivia: You-Nam Wong is a member of a popular Hong Kong boyband, and has starred in several movies. One of the newer ones is called Playboy Cops. Sounds interesting?

Buy: From YesAsia with free worldwide shipping.
Or from the well-known Amazon.