The Fun, The Luck, and The Tycoon
Lam Po Sang: Chow Yun-Fat
Cindy: Nina Li Chi
Ah Yuk: Sylvia Chang
Directed by: Johnny To
IMDb link: http://us.imdb.com/Title?0097619
other links:
Version reviewed: DVD
Ratings:
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DVD Audio: 8 of 10
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DVD Video: 9 of 10
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Subtitles: 7 of 10
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Story: 7 of 10
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Performances: 8 of 10
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CYF: 9 of 10
A romantic comedy, the perfect "date movie" for those times when you
just want to see a movie to have a good time without much brainpower
required.
Chow Yun-Fat plays the Richest Man In Hong Kong, Lam Po Sang,
as well as most probably the most amiable. (The English subtitles romanize
his name as 'Bo' instead of 'Po', so if you're
watching the English sub his nickname will be BoBo instead of PoPo.) PoPo is more interested
in enjoying life than being wealthy, and seems to take everything
with a grin and good humor, except for one small problem: as the
film opens, this is the year in which he is required by his father's
will to be married.
PoPo has the unenviable fate of facing an arranged marriage with his
cousin Cindy, an insufferable spoiled brat who wants him only for
his money. When PoPo objects to his butler Fatso about the
arrangement, Fatso tells him "only ordinary people can choose their
wives". This is all the prompting PoPo needs to trade in his
brocade smoking jacket for Fatso's butler's uniform and PoPo leaves
abruptly into the night, glancing back only to toss his gold Rolex
to a horrified maid.
Paddling away from his hilltop palace overlooking Hong Kong Harbor,
he comes by chance onto a fete being given for a local charity.
Still wearing Fatso's uniform, he is mistaken as a butler by the
restaurant catering the party and this is how he meets up with Ah Yuk
the co-owner of the restaurant, her brother and the company's
five employees (4 of whom are played by the pop band Beyond). PoPo
seems to be infatuated at first sight with Ah Yuk, who in a fit of
frustration at the tightwad attendees at the charity fete,
inadvertently starts a food fight. PoPo is taken with her
innocence, charm and her indignation at those who have money but
use it only for vain boasting, not a worthy cause.
PoPo shows up at Ah Yuk's restaurant the next morning and gets a job
there as a simple busboy. He seems ecstatic to be doing the simple
tasks that "ordinary people" do, singing (as only CYF can sing) as
he mops the floor and takes out the trash. He rewards himself with
little glimpses of Ah Yuk, performing small kindnesses for her, and
it is clear that he is falling in love with his unassuming and sweet
natured boss.
Being the Richest Man In Hong Kong he's not exactly invisible, and
after a while the only people who are unaware of PoPo's lark as a
busboy are Ah Yuk and the other restaurant employees. Cindy, Fatso
and a host of other people are all after PoPo for one reason or
another, some to help and some to hinder, and much comedic mayhem
ensues as PoPo tries in vain to get up both the courage and the
privacy to declare his love to Ah Yuk.
One of the highlights of the film is the second role which Chow
Yun-Fat plays, that of Stink the cab driver. There is a great scene
in which PoPo is sitting in the back of Stink's cab, listening to the
cabbie banter of Stink, with a big grin on his face. (Taxi driver is
one of the menial jobs which CYF held before he became a television
star.)
Unlike some of his other slapstick comedies, CYF plays this one down
rather than up, and his performance is broad but still understated.
PoPo's unfailing geniality and kindness make him a refreshing change
from the "snobby rich man gets taught a lesson by poor girl" plots
that are seen so often out of Hollywood. This seems to be a role
which CYF enjoyed playing, that of a straightforward leading man in
a romance with touches of slapstick comedy and lots of general good
humor. He is dressed to perfection, from his bright red tuxedo to his
busboy outfit, and he lights up the screen with lots of engaging smiles.
There are many sweet scenes between PoPo and Ah Yuk, but almost no
physical contact until he sets an engagement ring (a rhinestone ring
he bought with his first meager busboy paycheck) upon her finger.
All of the romance is in glances and pauses instead of dialogue and
action. CYF has always been talented at communicating pages and
pages of script with just his facial expressions, and in this one he
gets the happy chance to show lots of joy - again, a nice change
from the heavy, tragic roles which usually call for that particular
talent.
The subtitles on this film are better than average, although still
not as good as one would like, especially for such a big-budget
effort. There is no problem reading them, the spelling is overall
quite acceptable and word usage and grammar are not bad for a Hong
Kong film from this period.
If you've never seen a CYF comedy, this is probably the one for you.
His other comedic works tend to be broad ("Diary Of A Big Man") or
a little on the odd side for some Western tastes ("The Eighth
Happiness").
If you just like looking at the Most Handsome Man In Hong Kong, this
film is DEFINITELY for you.
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