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Cast:
Jordan
Chan
Tomita
Yasuko
Law
Kar Ying
Karen
Mok
Lau
Siu Ming
Producer:
Yim
Ho
Sam
Chung Fong
Director:
Yim
Ho
Score:
 
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KITCHEN
AKA:
N/A
Year:
1997 Reviewer: Andrew
Saroch
Jordan
Chan enjoys an avid following throughout the West thanks to
some eye-catching performances and his own inimitable style.
'Kitchen' is widely considered to feature one of his strongest
displays and gives the star a chance to headline this romantic
drama.
After
her grandmother dies, young orphan Aggie stumbles away from
the funeral service traumatised by her tremendous loss. Coming
to her aid is unusual looking stranger Louis (Chan) who was
also a friend of the deceased and works as a hairdresser in
Hong Kong. Taking the distraught Aggie back to the flat he
shares with his mother, Louis' softer side is gradually
revealed even though the new lodger still cannot speak. In the
course of the next few days Aggie finally breaks her silence
and thanks her friends for the patience they've shown with
her. However, the relationship she shares with Louis is one
neither understands, though his peculiar girlfriend doesn't
see it like that. Only after he suffers a bereavement do the
pair feel comfortable with each other, but still they cannot
express what they mean to one another.
Based
on a cult novel, 'Kitchen' introduces an interesting premise
that touches on popular Hong Kong themes i.e. unrequited love
and the relationship between two of life's shattered souls.
With such a well-trod, yet effective path, it was reasonable
to expect another powerful drama to challenge the heart and
mind. Unfortunately, as good as some of the parts are, the
whole fails to deliver its promise and once again falls foul
of the 'style over substance' problem. Director Yim Ho has no
difficulty in utilising the effective cinematography or
creating an atmosphere apt for the drama. However, he stumbles
in giving the film a real heart; even though the characters,
especially Jordan Chan's, the feeling that is defined early on
does not last the duration. Instead of fleshing out the main
players and giving them the three-dimensional qualities they
need, Yim Ho relies on their idiosyncrasies and supposes that
this makes them more human; Aggie, in particular, is
introduced as an understandably traumatised woman, but then
slips into 'quirky' mode soon after. In a film so reliant on
two differing characters having sharing a love that is
realistic, this is a major disappointment. There's also ending
after ending to contend with and the fact that a few chances
to finish on a great closing moment are lost.
'Kitchen'
is watchable, of course for Jordan Chan's first-rate display,
though it tends to languish in pretentiousness when a firmer
hand would have been far more effective.
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