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Cast:
Louis
Koo
Gigi
Leung
Charlene
Choi
Donnie
Yen
Rain
Li
Kathy
Chow
Alex
Fong Nik Sun
Hui
Shiu-Hung
Producer:
Chan
Hing Kar
Amy
Chin
Director:
Dante
Lam
Chan
Hing Kar
Score:
  
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LOVE
ON THE ROCKS
AKA:
N/A
Year:
2004 Reviewer: Andrew
Saroch
The
cast and crew of 'Love On The Rocks' provided me with the
necessary inspiration to purchase another romantic comedy.
Dante Lam presided behind the lens, a director who seemed to
peak with the smart, off-kilter 'Jiang Hu -The Triad Zone',
but had descended into films that, while displaying potential,
had never made the most of his promise. Then there was the
prospect of seeing which Gigi Leung I would have the pleasure
of watching: the delightful actress who had impressed in 'Turn
Left, Turn Right' or the moping, prima-donna of the less
than charming 'Driving
Miss Wealthy'. Finally there's the usual endurance test
commonly known as Charlene Choi - while I've nothing against
'Twins' and was impressed by Choi in 'Funeral
March' and 'Just
One Look', she is all-too-commonly portrayed as an
infuriatingly immature 'heroine'.
During
a disastrous Valentine's Day, stingy Romeo Ming (Koo) is told
that there is no future in his relationship with Annie
(Leung). After enduring Ming's refusal to buy her flowers,
insistence on eating as part of an 'Eat As Much As You Can'
dinner and then allowing his grotesque friend to join them,
Annie decides to end their awkward 'romance' and re-evaluate
her life. Annie's father steps into the dispute and tells them
to put their relationship on hold for a few weeks so that both
can take a long hard look at themselves, a move that both
parties agree to. Ming, as unyielding as ever, cannot
understand the expiration of his relationship and seeks the
advice of self-styled internet love guru 'Crystal' (Choi). On
meeting Crystal, Ming is encouraged to examine his past loves
and his own bizarre foibles in an effort to pin-point why the
woman he loves has left. Though he is initially baffled by his
inexperienced 19 year old 'advisor', he begins to confide in
her and, as a result, confronts his failings.
In
answer to the opening paragraph, 'Love On The Rocks' has more
than enough reasons to be genuinely appealing. It would appear
that every film industry, from Hong Kong to Hollywood and
every in between, has the uncanny knack of churning out
romantic comedies with little interest in quality or
originality. As a genre, it sometimes seems to be the laziest
and the staple of the cynical money-making machines the world
over. However, there are films that manage to work within this
framework and still deliver a modicum of unaffected emotion.
'Love On The Rocks' doesn't herald a revolution within the
genre, but has moments that are truly heartening.
In
a partial return to form, Dante Lam crafts a witty and, at
times, touching love story that recalls 'High Fidelity' for
part of its inspiration while also remaining true to the Hong
Kong style that permeates it. Lam's quirky camera angles and
well-staged moments of humour mean that there's more to enjoy
than in the average rom-com. Lam doesn't do quite enough to
fully convince that he is on the ascendancy as there are
moments of pure cliché that prevent this. The inclusion of
Charlene Choi who is only slightly less annoying than usual
(due to her reasonably brief appearance here) still manages to
exasperate with her capricious 'charm' and serves as a
blockade to the strong central love story. Her eventual
devotion to Ming is an after-thought and stirs up little
sympathy. Nevertheless, Lam injects enough
verve into the film for it to be considered a moderate
success.
Louis
Koo and Gigi Leung have been on-screen partners a few times in
the past and always spark a certain something in each other.
This is no exception as once again there is a earnest feeling
between the two that makes them a perfect couple on screen.
Leung opens her big, expression-filled eyes and elicits more
empathy than you might expect while Koo is particularly
impressive as Ming. His character is a bit more nuanced than
usual; he isn't the charming, urbane hero for once - he's a
miserly, yet caring character with enough depth to make him
interesting throughout. As his character is the fulcrum of the
production, it needs to be intriguing enough to sustain the
viewer's interest and thankfully it does. Filling in the gaps
is a pleasant cameo by Donnie Yen who gets to sink his teeth
into a romantic role while also engaging in some amusing
action with Koo.
'Love
On The Rocks' has an intrusive piano score tinkling in the
background coupled with the prevalent Canto-pop ballads that
the genre demands. Such sounds are a reminder that this isn't
a masterpiece nor does it seek to stretch the genre. However,
Lam puts a tried-and-tested couple together on the screen,
fills the narrative with sweet and humorous asides and ends on
an emotionally stirring reconciliation scene. Despite Charlene
Choi's intrusions and a few typically broad moments, 'Love On
The Rocks' has a lot more going for it than many of its
contemporaries.
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