Hello everyone, I would like to introduce a HK comedy movie, ‘I Love HK’ (我愛HK開心萬歲). This movie is shown during the Lunar New Year 2011. This movie is directed by Eric Tsang(曾志偉), and he is also one of the main characters in the film. Another main casts included Tony Leung(梁家輝), Sandra Ng(吳君如), Anita Yuen(袁詠儀) and Stanley Fung(馮淬帆) etc.
‘I Love Hong Kong’ is a story about a man, Shun Ng (吳順, casted by Tony Leung) and his family are forced to move back into the house estate to live with Ng’s father (casted by Stanley Fung) because Ng was bankrupt that his company and his toy factories are suffered from the financial tsunami. Although Ng had lived in the house estate during his childhood until he became an adult, Ng and his family are not really get used to the house estate life at the very first time after they moving back. However, Ng memorised his living in the house estate sometimes and he missed the old days very much. And after he met his old, closed friend, Tuo Shui Long (托水龍, casted by Eric Tsang), he started to recognized the current situation of his house estates. He knew that his community is facing a huge problem: the community stores are forced to close because of the invader- chain stores of the commercial corporation. Thus, Ng and the whole neighbourhood of the house estate decided to save and fight for the community together.
Firstly, I would like to share some producing background information of this film. The major investors of the movie are Shaw Brothers Studios (SBS) and Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB), and it is known that there is a intimated relationship between SBS and TVB since the major investor of the two company is Sir Shaw Run Run (*the shares changed in March 2011), so it is possible to say that, ‘I Love Hong Kong’ is a TVB production. From the movie, we can see that expect the main characters, the reminder actors and actresses are all from TVB! For example, Louis Yeun (阮兆祥), Bosco Wong (黃宗澤), Ron Ng (吳卓羲), Koni Lui (呂慧儀) and Wayne Lai (黎耀祥) etc. Thus, audiences will feel very familiar with the casting and it is also attractiveness for the TVB fans as well, it will attract them to buy tickets to support their idols! In addition, as I mentioned, this movie is kind of a TVB production. it is no doubt that TVB would use the film as a promotional tool for its image, artists, and the market. Therefore, that’s why Mag Lam (林欣彤) and Cho Lam Wong (王祖藍) took an essential role in the film: Mag as the daughter of Ng, Wong as Tuo Shui Long’s youth. Audiences can figure that two of them are the main focus of TVB, hence, TVB have to raise public attention on Mag and Wong through this film.
This movie definitely created collective memories for the Hong Kong generations who were born in the 60s and 70s, as the story is take place in a house estate, where lots of 60s and 70s hongkongers spent their childhood at. Thus, the whole movie may recall the 60s and 70s hongknogers’ childhood memories, and they may feel very familiar with those plots.
For another audiences who have never been through ‘the period of house estate’, the movie also emphasised the Hong Kong core value to raise those audiences’ familiarity. There are lots of plots represented Ng’s family sit down and having dinner together. Those scenes stated a important core value for Hongkongers : 一家人坐低食飯. You may found that those’ 一家人坐低食飯 ‘ scenes are very familiar, since all of us would have dinner with our family in daily lives. of course, it may not happen everyday, but it did happened, we talk about anything during that moment, even we just have a big fight with each other in the early of time, we finally forgot what has happened, we will just sit together and eat(talk), because we are family. So, from those scenes, it is clear to see that the movie is representing an essential Hong Kong core value: the meaning of being a family.
Moreover, I think some of the scenes in the movie not only represented collective memories and the core value of Hong Kong, the scenes also represented a traditional cultural symbol, a ‘Hong Kong thing’: lanterns and candles of the mid-autumn festival. There is a plot showing that Ng and his neighbours of the whole house estate just come out from their home, celebrating the mid-autumn festival at the corridor, they light up lanterns and candles, sing and dance together. You may think it is totally exaggerating for the sing and dance plot, but for me, the scene that the whole estate is full of lighted up lanterns and candles is so touching, I think the celebration is a representation of the Hong Kong uniqueness: 人情味, it is a treasure of Hong Kong- the scene light up audiences’ hearts for being a Hongkonger.
‘I Love Hong Kong’ also spreading some meaningful and impressive messages to audiences. As the whole story takes place in house estate, and we all understand that the house estate is a symbol of ‘grassroot’(草根) , thus. it is no question that the setting of film, the characters etc. would be a kind of ‘grassroot’(草根)- I think the reason that movie chose house estate as a background is to emphasis the contribution of ‘grassroot’Hongkongers: the grassroot’s effort made today’s Hong Kong- everything of Hong Kong today is started at the house estate! Besides, this movie is showing the Hong Kong spirit: in the film, even Ng is bankrupt that changed his and the family living, but all of them never give up, they work hard, and strive for themselves, most importantly. they accepted the change. In my opinion, the messages of the movie are obvious: Hong Kong people can survive from everything, because we never give up, we have faith and courage, we unite to fight got a better tomorrow and a better Hong Kong!
I enjoy this movie very much, it is truly representing a warm story. Yes, it may means it is a commercial movie of TVB, but the messages of ‘I Love Hong Kong’ are very positive for every one, and for me, they are so powerful! Most importantly, the movie made me laugh! That’s comedies are filmed for!!
A very comprehensive review which covers almost all important features of the film, from the marketing strategy (e.g., casting), representation of core values (e.g., importance of family, practices of “grassroots”) and film genre (a comedy drama). In particular, your point on the indomitable character depicted in the film creates a major source of identification for Hong Kong audience.
ReplyDeleteIn general, your article is nicely written and rich in content. Perhaps you may wish to focus on one or two major points (e.g., representation of Hong Kong values), instead of including too many themes in your review. Just now it is a bit lengthy and looks like an “essay”, haha.