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Cast:
Andy
Lau
Sammi
Cheng
Rikiyo
Kurokawa
Asuka
Higuchi
Lam
Suet
Producer:
Johnnie
To
Tiffany
Chen Lan
Catherine
Chan
Wai
Ka Fai
Director:
Johnnie
To
Wai
Ka Fai
Score:
 
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LOVE
ON A DIET
AKA:
N/A
Year:
2001 Reviewer: Andrew
Saroch
It
was only a matter of time before Andy Lau and Sammi Cheng were
re-united on the screen. After last year's monster hit 'Needing
You', there seemed to be every indication that the stars
would again star opposite each other in a romantic comedy.
Therefore the summer of 2001 saw the release of 'Love On A
Diet' with Johnnie To and Wai Ka Fai returning to as
directors. Once again the team struck box-office gold with
'Love On A Diet' notching up one of the summer's biggest
grosses ('Shaolin
Soccer' heading the list by some way). The question many
will ask, however, is focused on the quality of the film; is
it as good as 'Needing You'.
When
Mini Mo's (Cheng) musician boyfriend Kurokawa goes to study
abroad, her initial reaction is great happiness. As the years
go by though, Mini finds that the only thing that can cure her
loneliness is comfort eating. Living in Japan and therefore
surrounded by an endless array of mouth-watering food, Mini
sees the weight pile on. Her lowest point comes when, after
ten years apart, her former love Kurokawa doesn't recognise
her at one of his concerts. Distraught at this downturn in
fortunes she looks for some kind of encouragement, though this
also seems initially fruitless. Her shoulder to cry on comes
in the unlikely form of overweight cutlery salesman Fatso
(Lau) who agrees to pay for her hotel bill. This one-off act
of kindness sees Mini attach herself to her new friend and
refuse to leave his side. Fatso is far from flattered and
instead seeks new ways to lose her on his travels. After a
very near-death experience at the hands of a suicidal Mini,
the salesman agrees to help her achieve the goal of getting
back to her former self. With Kurokawa publicly announcing his
love for his long-gone lover, the despairing Mini looks to
lose the weight so that she can meet him at a designated
location. What follows is a number of ideas to shed the
hundreds of pounds in the shortest amount of time. As the
hard-working coach, Fatso finds himself gradually attracted to
Mini and realises that her real beauty is her warm
personality. Thus with the impossible task becoming more and
more likely, both Mini and Fatso have to face their hidden
feelings for each other.
Put
in a simple line, 'Love On A Diet' is a good film that doesn't
quite match up to 'Needing You'. It's certainly better than
Sammi Cheng's other 2001 romantic comedy 'Fighting
For Love', but it doesn't quite reach the heights of last
year's production. Nevertheless, there is still much to enjoy
in 'Love On A Diet' and once again the chemistry between the
lead pair makes this a quality slice of entertainment. The
Japanese setting gives this production a very different
atmosphere to recent Hong Kong hits and makes a pleasing
change form the usual environments. The balance of romance and
comedy is also successfully achieved as neither obscures the
other; there is enough of both to please most.
'Love
On A Diet's main failing is its final twenty minutes or so.
While this climax is adequate and satisfying, there is still a
bitter taste created by its execution. The character of
Kurokawa is not unsympathetic or unpleasant and so his
eventual fall in Mini's eyes is strangely awkward. The
eventual meeting of the once-portly lovers also gives some
very mixed messages that seem to be in conflict with the
previous hour. Although mostly engrossing there are moments
that veer dangerously close the losing the viewer's attention
which is another reason that this only just scrapes a four
star rating. Ultimately then, 'Love On A Diet' certainly makes
a good evening's viewing, but with a little more attention
given to some of its key moments, it could have been even
better.
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