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Starring
:
Sammo
Hung
Kenny
Bee
Joey
Wong
Anthony
Chan
Carrie
Ng
Action
:
Sammo
Hung
Director
:
Alfred
Cheung
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TO
ERR IS HUMANE (1987)
Reviewed
by Andrew Saroch
Ting
(Sammo) is the scapegoat for all of the failings of his greedy
company and finds himself constantly berated by the
domineering wife of his boss. Finally at the end of his tether
after taking the blame for a robbery of the company's
diamonds, Ting decides to get revenge and make some quick
money at the same time. He therefore concocts a plan to kidnap
his main tormentor and issue her husband, his employer, with a
ransom demand. Unfortunately for bungling would-be kidnapper
Ting, he remarkably manages to snatch the wrong woman and
instead takes his boss' young daughter (Wong). To add to his
problems, his actions have not gone unnoticed and a fellow
worker at the same company, Piao (Bee), blackmails Ting for a
share of the ransom money. The two, though never meeting,
gradually devise a way to get the money from the victim's
father without getting caught. However, Piao also starts to
warm to the kidnapped woman, therefore causing problems for
the money-hungry scheme.
Sammo
Hung has carved out a reputation as one of the great stars of
Hong Kong mainly on the back of his exceptional action
comedies. 'To Err Is Humane' is a slight change of pace from
these as it is a straight comedy that relies on simple farce
rather than action. Therefore the cast are familiar faces
within this particular field and are clearly designed to
create the light-hearted atmosphere that Alfred Cheung often
utilises. Sammo's acting skills mean that he is equally at
home with comedy as he is with drama or action; he fits
perfectly into his non-action role and maintains the vital
pathos the character needs throughout. Within the
aforementioned cast there's enough talent to also help Sammo's
efforts in the lead role and his interplay with Kenny Bee is a
particular asset. 'To Err Is Humane' is a more subtle use of
the usual Hong Kong farce conventions which therefore makes
for easy viewing.
Those
expecting the sublime mixture of fisticuffs and fun as was
seen in classics like 'Pedicab
Driver' and 'Millionaire's
Express' will certainly be disappointed; Alfred Cheung's
directorial style is distinctly focused away from these.
Nonetheless, 'To Err Is Humane' provides further proof of
Sammo Hung's versatility and makes a pleasant addition to his
vast filmography.
Rating:
 
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