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Cast:
Ekin
Cheng
Jordan
Chan
Cecilia
Cheung
Lam
Suet
Action:
Bruce
Law
Producer:
Johnnie
To
Wai
Ka Fai
Director:
Johnnie
To
Wai
Ka Fai
Score:
 
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HELP!!!
AKA:
N/A
Year:
2000 Reviewer: Andrew
Saroch
Johnnie
To reminded audiences of his eclectic directorial nature with
satirical comedy 'Help!!!', once again from the 'Milkyway'
stable. This, though, proved to be a film that sharply divided
critics and viewers alike, such is its complete opposition to
most of the studio's out put of the time. Whether it deserves
its critical mauling will be questioned later.
A
patient is admitted to the Sir Kau Kei Ho Hospital with severe
burns and suffers the callous apathy of this bureaucratic
institution. Ironically though, the patient is revealed to be
the very Sir Kau Kei Ho whose name adorns the hospital.
Ignoring the endless sycophants who attempt to curry favour
with him, Sir Kau Kei Ho instead enlists the help of naive
junior doctor Yan (Cheung) in his attempt to rejuvenate the
hospital. Yan is well aware of the obvious lack of interest
that most of the doctors show and so she tries to persuade one
of her colleagues to start caring again. Her plea for her
colleague, Jim (Chan), to change back to the super-charged
doctor he once was succeeds and the pair then manage to
convince Jim's former partner, Joe (Cheng), to return. The
trio invest all of their time and effort into reforming the
way the hospital works, gradually making an impression on the
other staff along the way. However, the shadowy bureaucrats
who run the establishment from the mysterious, top-floor
offices decide that the revolution must stop and thus use
everything in their power to achieve their sinister goal.
Hong
Kong comedies are not known for their satirical edge, but
'Help!!!' shows that such a difficult and culturally-restricted
form of humour can truly succeed. This is a particularly
corrosive satire which uses a Python-esque surrealism to add
further bite to an already significant quota of incisive
attacks on bureaucracy and the apathy that eats away at people
who should care. Subtlety is not the film's strong point and
so it can be easy to dismiss the tone as 'over-the-top', but
there's a great deal to offer within To/Kai Fai's comedy. The
ensemble cast are excellent with Jordan Chan and surprisingly
Ekin Cheng managing to enhance a quality production.
One
of the achievements that 'Help!!!' pulls off is the adaptability
of its message; although a sardonic look at a Hong Kong
problem, it can easily be appreciated in connection to the
N.H.S. or any other worldwide version of it. It therefore
proves to be more accessible than its synopsis indicates. Not
a Brunel intellectual challenge, this is a recommended
satirical comedy, easy to enjoy and a feather in the cap of
Johnnie To's varied filmography.
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