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Cast:
Michael
Hui
Sylvia
Chang
Ricky
Hui
Lowell
Lo
Lawrence
Ng
Producer:
Ronny
Yu
Director:
Clifton
Ko
Score:
 
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CHICKEN
AND DUCK TALK
AKA:
Chicken and Fast Food
Year:
1988 Reviewer: Andrew
Saroch
There
are some films that, from the very beginnings of my interest
in Hong Kong cinema, have been near the top of my 'must see'
list. Most of these have since been viewed, but one title
eluded me until very recently. That film was Michael Hui's
highly acclaimed 'Chicken And Duck Talk', a comedy that has
garnered critical plaudits wherever in the world it has
played. Since having also seen most of his very best work and
appreciated the fact that he truly is a Hong Kong film legend,
my expectations went through the roof. Having finally caught
this rare classic on VCD I feel obliged to write a review of
it.
Hui
is the miserly owner of a grimy restaurant that serves the
finest duck in town, but has much to answer for in the area of
hygiene. With a loyal base of customers appreciating the food
and ignoring the cleaning standards though, there is little to
trouble the economic future of the business. Instead, Hui has
to contend with his disgruntled, under-paid staff and a
nagging mother-in-law who is quick to highlight his faults.
The relative calm of his restaurant is thrown into turmoil
when fast food eatery 'Danny's Fried Chicken' opens across the
road and sets its sights on gobbling up the competition. Hui
dismisses the rivals as a flash-in-the-pan, but is forced to
rethink his strategy when his trusted clientele head across
the road. Things go from bad to worse when 'Cuttlefish', Hui's
harassed dogs body, resigns and joins the robot-like staff of
'Danny's Fried Chicken' This finally thrusts the proud owner
into using the same gimmicks that are being used by the
competition, albeit on a smaller scale. As every attempt to
combat his powerful rivals fails, Hui is forced to re-evaluate
his relationships at home and at work. With time running out
and more ruthless tricks being used against his business, the
Scrooge-like boss finally eats humble pie and plots his way
back to the top.
It's
inevitable that any film viewed with the kind of expectations
I had is bound to disappoint. Though this is the case with
'Chicken And Duck Talk' this is still a quality slice of
Michael Hui's refined brand of Canto-comedy. With another
winning cast to back him up, Hui delivers an always watchable
and occasionally hilarious production that works on a number
of different levels. The visual comedy that made his name is
again evident and there are a few moments that show the comic
king at his apex. In addition to this is a sharp line in
satire that targets everything from fast food chains to
traditional Chinese values. This well-crafted comedy, and
indeed much of Hui's best, is a clear influence on the work of
Chow Sing-Chi, especially his last three classics ('God
Of Cookery', 'King
Of Comedy' & 'Shaolin
Soccer').
The
Achilles' Heel of 'Chicken And Duck Talk' is Clifton Ko's
direction and it is this sometimes awkward aspect that
undermines an otherwise excellent film. Ko directs this in the
same way as he does many of his family comedies: sit-com style
family conflicts and sudden introductions of sentimentality.
While this is usually entertaining, here it tends to restrict
the natural skills of the cast. The inter-play of Michael and
Ricky is not as strong as it often is and this naturally
effects the finished product. Quibbles aside, 'Chicken And
Duck Talk' is worth tracking down as it is evidence that Chow
Sing-Chi is not the be all and end all of Cantonese comedy.
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