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Cast:
Lau
Ching Wan
Carina
Lau
Louis
Koo
Gigi
Leung
Lee
San-San
Chikako
Aoyamo
Stephen
Fung
Karen
Mok
Producer:
Chan
Hing-Kar
Amy
Chin
Director:
Patrick
Leung
Chan
Hing-Kar
Score:
 
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LA
BRASSIERE
AKA:
N/A
Year:
2001 Reviewer: Andrew
Saroch
After
what seemed like an eternity from the screen, but was actually
merely a year, Lau Ching Wan made his triumphant return with
this sleeper hit of 2001. Backed by popular idols Louis Koo
and Gigi Leung with the constantly watchable Carina Lau
offering Lau a more than able lead foil, all the elements were
put in place for a return to form for one of the most popular
local stars of recent years.
When
a well-respected brassiere company finds their profits
slumping, they deduce that the only way to go is to break
tradition and hire two male designers for the team. While the
appointment of Johnny (Lau) and Wayne (Koo) is met with
excited cheers by the all-female work force, head designer
Lena (Leung) reacts badly to the decision and stubbornly
refuses to co-operate. Only after the company's head, Samantha
(Carina Lau), has pointed words with her colleague do things
improve, but Lena is keen to test the mettle of the new
employees. Entering into the shrouded world of bra-design with
their very inappropriate view of the opposite sex, Johnny and
Wayne concentrate their energies into charming the workers
rather than anything approaching work. However, Lena makes
sure that their antics and complete lack of knowledge
concerning what makes a woman tick is exposed to all. Now the
new designers are given the real work to do: to design the
Ultimate Bra for the company. As the work begins in earnest -
and the pair are given a crash course in what it is like to
wear a bra during everyday activities - Johnny and Wayne find
themselves attracted to Samantha and Lena respectively. There
are now two goals for the pair to focus on with the deadline
drawing near; the results will ensure that their attitudes
will be permanently changed.
A
zippy, expertly performed romantic comedy with an abundance of
style and quality, 'La Brassiere' is a pleasant surprise. The
material may imply a crude, Wong Jing-style comedy, but the
execution is a classier affair altogether. The focus is really
the differences between the genders rather than the somewhat
threadbare set-up and as such the film succeeds in providing
amusing entertainment. Lau Ching Wan is superb in one of his
rare comic roles, relishing every opportunity to enjoy a far
more light-hearted role than he is used to. His task is made
much easier by the fine support of Carina Lau, Louis Koo and
Gigi Leung - the latter two giving their best performances for
a while. If there is one significant defect it is the latter
scenes that supposedly flesh out the romance between Johnny
and Samantha. Johnny has allegedly learned more about the
opposite sex yet doesn't mind two-timing his girlfriend during
his time with Samantha; this plot-thread, though not shown for
long, helps to undermine the sympathy there is meant to be for
Johnny. Then, in tried and true fashion, Samantha utters the
usual 'I don't need commitment etc' line and the typical
Hollywood climax follows. If the real flavour of Hong Kong
cinema had been shown in these two incongruous sequences,
there would certainly have been a stronger finale to what had
been an entertaining effort. Importantly, this is still an
often funny and certainly worthwhile rom-com.
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