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Cast:
Miriam
Yeung
Edison
Chen
Niki
Chow
Pauline
Yam
Wyman
Wong
Sammy
Leung
Producer:
Joe
Ma
Ivy
Kong
Director:
Joe
Ma
Mak
Kai Kwong
Score:
 
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DUMMY
MOMMY WITHOUT A BABY
AKA:
Dummy Mummy Without A Baby
Year:
2001 Reviewer: Andrew
Saroch
L.K.
Fong (Yeung) and her good friend Dina are content workers at a
busy Hong Kong advertising agency who manage to scrape through
their work while avoiding confrontations with their waspish
head of department Catherine. After her continual lack of
punctuality, L.K. is given a final warning by Catherine and is
threatened by dismissal if anything similar happens again.
Unfortunately she accidentally sends a cartoonish e-mail about
her employers around the department and incurs the wrath of
Catherine who persuades laid back boss Wu (Chen) to dismiss
her. Before this can happen though, L.K. devises an ingenious
scheme to keep her job: pretend to be pregnant and take
advantage of the work laws stating that pregnant women cannot
be dismissed. L.K., ably supported by Dina, finds that an
initial lie soon needs numerous others to support it and
therefore convinces her workmates that the father has left her
alone. This immediately gains the sympathy of Wu whose own
parents divorced when he was young and who now feels the
desire to help out this woman in need. As times goes on
however, the myth of the pregnancy becomes harder to
perpetuate and while L.K. undoubtedly becomes the inspiration
of her workplace, the inevitable time of truth gets ever
closer.
One
of the recent comedy hits that have established Miriam Yeung
as a bona fide box-office star, 'Dummy Mommy Without A Baby'
creates the template that would be re-used for many of the
films starring the popular actress - subtle romance, Yeung as
the unappreciated female lead and a handsome male co-star.
These conventions are already firmly in place even though
Yeung has only enjoyed a relatively brief time in the
limelight, though their use is not as restrictive as it may
sound. The reason is that Yeung has always been blessed with
capable directors; Joe Ma, Wilson Yip and Derek Chiu have all
stamped their mark of quality on the productions that have
been under their control. 'Dummy Mommy Without A Baby' is a
farce comedy that never descends into the lack of control so
common in the sub-genre and much of this is due to Joe Ma's
overall mastery of the proceedings.
'Dummy
Mommy Without A Baby' is not a laugh-out-loud comedy or the
kind of wild ride that a star like Chow Sing Chi provides.
Instead, the film is reliant on the gentle charm of its
principle cast and the genuine warmth of the relationships
therein. Miriam Yeung's screen persona is the perfect
embodiment of this goal and, even in this earlier role,
showing winning charisma and a useful chemistry with
impressive co-star Niki Chow. Edison Chen is not usually seen
as a successful cog in any film, but here the young star plays
a more human role than usual, therefore adding the necessary
romantic side to the plot. 'Dummy Mommy Without A Baby' does
lack the natural spark that 'Love
Undercover' and, to a certain extent, 'Dry
Wood, Fierce Fire' had and is slightly rough around the
edges. Nonetheless, it is still pleasing and inoffensive
entertainment - by no means a bad combination.
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