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Starring
:
Poon
Hung
Lau
Ching Wan
Wong
Yue Gong
Wong
Wa Ying
Crystal
Kwok
James
Pax
Director
:
Lee
Gwok Man
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SHANGHAI
FEVER (1994)
Reviewed
by Andrew Saroch
On
hearing of the economic boom hitting Shanghai, a prosperous
commodities trader (Lau Ching Wan) travels to the Mainland to
dabble with the local stock market and make a sizeable profit.
Aided by his cousin, the trader decides to use a local to act
as his go-between on the frenetic floor of the Shanghai stock
market and take away the considerable stress away from him.
The first person to fit the description is bus conductor Lily
(Poon Hang) who is content with her humble existence even
though she is willing to take on the job. As the three work as
a team, Lily discovers that making money in the lucrative
commodities market is much easier than the day-to-day grind
that she is subjected to. As the money rolls in and the
benefits begin to turn her head, Lily is entrusted with the
money of her greedy neighbours who are eager to capitalise on
the money making venture. However, as Lily gets sucked into
the excitement and begins to change her lifestyle to suit her
new role, she finds that her husband is far from happy with
the current situation. Eventually she is faced with a painful
ultimatum: either she must give up her new occupation or she
will lose her family.
'Shanghai
Fever' is an interesting cross-cultural experience that mixes
a pseudo-'Wall Street' parable with an undercurrent of satire.
Shanghai is represented as a city of two extremes; there are
obvious signs of prosperity mixed with the very meagre life
that Lily is at first presented within. Such an intriguing
city - one which isn't immediately familiar to western viewers
- gives the film a fresh quality that most Hong Kong
productions lack, with the locations becoming one of the
film's highlights. Lau Ching Wan's condescending observance of
Shanghai also creates a strong dynamic as the culture clash
takes centre stage - perhaps one of the more entertaining
parts of the film.
Despite
its laudable aims, 'Shanghai Fever' suffers from its mixed
messages and a confusion over what the film's intention is. Is
it a critique of communism or capitalism, or is it a parable
about greed or ambition? The answer is muddled and verges on
contradicting itself. Director Lee Gwok Man also tries to tie
the end up a little too neatly; the final ten minutes present
the cliffhanger moments with a far too unconvincing finale.
Due to these reasons, 'Shanghai Fever' does drag at times and,
even though it is a mostly diverting drama, it is a production
that seems to have aged (even though it's less than a decade
old).
While
Lau Ching Wan features prominently in the film, the acting
honours undoubtedly belong to Poon Hung. An accomplished
mainland actress, Poon's handling of her complex character is
assured and she retains her dignity even when she begins to
verge on the unsympathetic. Poon Hang always lifts Lily out of
the occasional caricatures that begin to emerge within the
film. Her excellent lead performance is one reason why
'Shanghai Fever' is a watchable three star film which, though
it never becomes particularly memorable, is at least different
from the norm.
Rating:
 
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