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Cast:
Miriam
Yeung
Eason
Chan
Eric
Tsang
Do
Do Cheng
Lai
Yiu Cheung
Conroy
Chan
Ti
Lung (cameo)
Josie
Ho (cameo)
Producer:
Daniel
Lam
Director:
Derek
Chiu
Score:
 
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FRUGAL
GAME
AKA:
N/A
Year:
2002 Reviewer: Andrew
Saroch
Hong
Kong film-making in the summer of 2002 has been, at the time
of writing, short of quality and certainly suffers in
comparison to the same period last year. 'Frugal Game',
however, has created much interest, partly due to its pairing
of director Derek Chiu and leading lady Miriam Yeung. Chiu is,
in my opinion, one of the best directors working in Hong Kong
today and has recently received critical acclaim for 'Time
4 Hope' - released earlier this year. Meanwhile Yeung has
carved out a considerable fanbase due to her string of
box-office hits, 'Dummy Mommy Without A Baby', 'Love
Undercover' and 'Dry Wood Fierce Fire'. The question is
whether or not the more artistic talents of Chiu could
successfully merge with the financial clout of Yeung.
After
the father (Tsang) loses his job and is plunged into financial
uncertainty, the Wei family is handed an intriguing lifeline
by unemployed businesswoman Diana (Cheng): they will pretend
to be a family of four and then take part in the new Hong Kong
reality/gameshow 'Frugal Game'. Although the father and Diana
are rivals from their time in the economic world together,
their differences are loosely patched up and they apply for
the show. The rules are simple: two families of four must
exist for one week on the paltry sum of HK$400; accommodation
is provided, but food must be paid for and 'luxuries' such as
showers will cost them too; at the end of the week the winners
will be those who have the most money remaining. At first both
parties are quite comfortable with the concept and manage to
survive ease through the first day. However, as the money ebbs
away and the home comforts are sorely missed, temptation lures
both families into breaking the rules. Thankfully the Wei
family's daughter (Yeung) is guided by the show's ambitious
director Tsui (Chan) who begins to favour her family and, away
from the prying eyes of the numerous cameras, feeds her. The
growing feelings between the two are quickly noticed by
'Frugal Game's producer who sees the possibilities of
increased ratings and decides to use their relationship for
this purpose.
Far
removed from the heavy drama and introspection of 'Time 4
Hope', Derek Chiu's 'Frugal Game' is a further sign of the
director's growing confidence in all genres. Grouping together
a cast that is well versed in local comedies, this amusing -
though never hilarious - satire offers smooth and slick
entertainment. The fact of the matter is, however, that
'Frugal Game' doesn't really display Chiu's genuine talents.
Naturally his direction is consistent and shows that he can
cope with a big production, but the subtle strokes that made 'Sealed
With A Kiss', 'Comeuppance'
and 'Love
Au Zen' so powerful are missing here. The relationship
between Miriam Yeung and Eason Chan is not properly defined
and staggers from one scene to another. This mixes
uncomfortably with the satirical tones of the film. 'Frugal
Game' does benefit from Yeung's enjoyable presence and a few
excellent characters. Foremost among these is Eason Chan's portrayal
of director Tsui who longs to make a kung fu epic instead of
being stuck in the world of daytime television. His passion
for putting outrageous camerawork and kung-fu touches in the
show is one of the highlights. Added to this is a brief, but
exceptional cameo by Ti Lung who plays a famous martial arts
actor and hands out pithy advice to Tsui near the end of the
film. Lung's gentle, yet affectionate parody of many of his
Shaw Brothers' characters will stoke up the nostalgia in many.
'Frugal Game' is a pleasant comedy that stands out of the rest
of the market because of its odd glimpse of invention.
Nevertheless, it is hoped that Derek Chiu doesn't abandon the
style that made him such a promising film-maker.
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