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Cast:
Andy
Lau
Sandra
Ng
Anita
Mui
Edison
Chen
Gordon
Lam
Ronald
Cheng
Writer:
Felix
Chong
Producer:
Andy
Lau
Andrew
Lau
Director:
Andrew
Lau
Score:
 
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DANCE
OF A DREAM
AKA:
N/A
Year:
2001 Reviewer: Andrew
Saroch
The
name Andrew Lau tends to divide many Hong Kong film fanatics
into two camps. The first hold him responsible for the loss of
what makes Hong Kong cinema unique, with his big-budget, style
over substance flicks allegedly killing the originality of the
local industry. The second camp tends to be more forgiving and
they welcome the chance for Eastern films to battle
successfully against Hollywood imports. These viewpoints are
just for his directorial work; arguably his cinematography is
his major strength and the reason he has so many awards under
his belt. The end of 2001 saw Lau don both hats once more and
present viewers with 'Dance Of A Dream', a change from his
usual CGI-dominated productions (one of which, 'Avenging
Fist' played cinemas at the same time).
Namson
Lau (Andy Lau) is the stylish and suave dance instructor who
owns an ailing dance studio that is looking for new pupils.
During one spectacular performance at a swanky reception,
Namson attracts the attention of waitress Kim who quickly
develops a crush on the elegant mover. After enrolling in
Lau's classes following a session of charm from the
instructor, Kim sets her sights on mastering the art and
winning her man. Competition arrives in the shape of an
uptight businesswoman (Mui) who joins the class after
persuasion from her younger brother. Lau is offered a
considerable financial incentive by the younger brother if he
can make his constantly miserable sister happy; the offer is
simply too good to be true and the instructor uses all of his
charm on the newcomer. With his class making gradual progress
and his dream of owning a plush new studio drawing closer, Lau
is oblivious to the feelings of those around him. Matters
become confused when he discovers Kim's crush and the feelings
of his students when news of his ambitions come to light.
Therefore Lau is torn between his own dreams and the
well-being of his class.
'Dance
Of A Dream' is an enjoyable, yet forgettable romantic comedy
that is an amble display of the good and the bad of Andrew Lau
as director. On a positive note, Lau assembles a top-notch
trio of stars who play off one another with effortless skill;
although pretty much playing to their respective types, Lau,
Ng and Mui all give strong performances that ooze star
quality. It's also a pleasant change from the usual
effects-laden fare and Lau makes sure the whole thing moves
along at a fairly brisk pace. Added to this is Lau's
cinematography which, as is to be expected from someone with
such a great reputation, is smooth and assured. Unfortunately
for all the style of the film there is not much substance and
'Dance Of A Dream' tends to magnify the inadequacies that Lau
shows in his direction. The romantic elements of the plot,
which would seem to be the thrust of the storyline at the
beginning, lacks focus and creates conflicts that are never really resolved. Within this fault is the presence of
weaker-written background characters who flit in and out of
the duration with little purpose or impact. Eventually, Lau
appears to realise that the film has lost its drive and tries
to re-introduce the romance at the end, but instead creates a
confusing blend. Importantly then, these faults mean that the
goals of the production are not achieved.
There
are enough good points to mean that 'Dance Of A Dream' is
never a chore to sit through, but it offers little beyond
superficial entertainment.
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