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SEALED
WITH A KISS (1999)
Reviewed
by Andrew Saroch
Any
fears that Hong Kong had lost its top directors to Hollywood
were recently calmed when prodigal sons Tsui Hark and Ringo
Lam returned to the industry they knew best. While their
return to Hong Kong film-making has been very welcome in the
past few years, it's also good to see a new impetus of fresh
directors working in local cinema. Dante Lam ('Jiang Hu - The
Triad Zone'), Wilson Yip ('Juliet
In Love') and Riley Yip ('Metade Fumaca') have joined the
established stable and given indications that the creative
future of Asian cinema is assured. Perhaps not as well-known
as these, but equally promising is Derek Chiu who continues to
produce intriguing films within very well-trod genres. With
his 1999 effort 'Sealed With A Kiss' he once more tries to add
his very own stylistic touches to the proceedings.
Kam
Shui (Koo) is a mute orphan working in a island-front inn who
meanders through various scrapes with local thugs. These
pointless rivalries are put into stark perspective when Kam
meets Mandy (Mung), a young woman who has travelled to the
island to recover from a recent split with her boyfriend. Kam
is immediately drawn to the visitor, but it's also clear that
the feelings are not initially returned. When the time comes
for Mandy to leave the inn, the two strangers have formed a
gentle friendship. A year later the friendship is re-ignited
when Mandy checks back into the inn while her own home is
being restored. Kam continues to hide his own feelings even
though they are obvious to his close friends and focuses his
energy into making Mandy happy. To this end he decides to play
matchmaker when Mandy expresses an interest in a local
fireman. Kam's earnest attempts to pair them off soon falter
and he is again left with the reality that he must admit his
own emotions if he wants to find true happiness.
Chiu
is not a directorial newcomer, but it is only with recent
works that he has shown the signs of his potential. 'Sealed
With A Kiss' has the raw promise of a director to watch in the
future, but intersperses this with a general lack of focus.
The opening moments indicate that the subtle yet definite
strokes Chiu has utilised today are apparent here, but past
the hour mark this leaves the film. The subtle romance is
effective to a point, but Chiu allows the general emotions
held within the film to flounder. 'Sealed With A Kiss' does
have other strengths though, not least of which the island
setting. The earthy locations give the relationships a realism
that works very well with the overall tone. The locations also
give Chiu a chance to show how he can inject an ordinary scene
with an extra-ordinary beauty.
'Sealed
With A Kiss' also benefits from two superb lead performances;
Louis Koo and Yoyo Mung effortlessly fill their roles a with
real humanity that isn't easy to achieve. Koo in particular
expresses powerful feelings with a simple facial expression
and elicits the viewer's sympathy. The last five minutes have
been openly criticised by some, however this proves to be
another winning tool by Chiu. The overall resonance of 'Sealed
With A Kiss' is doubled by the power of the ending.
This
is therefore a film that, although not faultless and certainly
not as good as it might have been, is well-made and absorbing.
Rating:
 
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