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Starring
:
Samuel
Hui
Joey
Wong
Teddy
Robin
Tsui
Hark
Producer
:
Lo
Yuk Huen
Director
:
Tsui
Hark
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WORKING
CLASS (1985)
Reviewed
by Andrew Saroch
One
of Hong Kong cinema's most respected and certainly most
influential directors ever is undoubtedly Tsui Hark. From his
early work to his groundbreaking smash-hits of later years,
Tsui has prided himself on offering movie-going audiences the
chance to be entertained and dazzled. For any film-maker to
have crafted 'Peking
Opera Blues' would have ensured a place in Eastern cinema
history, but to have followed have also been responsible for 'Zu
Warriors From The Magic Mountain', 'Once Upon A Time In
China 1 + 2' and 'The
Chinese Feast' is simply incredible. With such a
reputation it is very easy for people to forget about the
numerous other productions that Hark has been behind. 'Working
Class' is one of these efforts as few instantly name it when
Tsui Hark's name is uttered.
'Working
Class' follows the misadventures of Yam (Hui) - a
happy-go-lucky individual who seems to land on his feet
whenever anything goes wrong. During a brutish game of
football, Yam makes two very sly enemies in the shape of Sunny
and Hing when his ball skills ruin their barbarian game plan.
After an ensuing entanglement with the law, the three get to
know each other better and become good friends. The trio then,
after being sacked from their respective roles, decide to get
jobs in a local noodle factory and join the monotony of the
production line. It soon becomes apparent that their fairly
relaxed way of operating is at odds with the tyrannical
management who are squeezing every last ounce of work from
their staff. This creates an inevitable battle of wills that
pits the rebellious workers against their superiors in the
noodle factory. While this battle becomes the focus at work,
Yam befriends the beautiful Amy who unbeknownst to him is
actually the daughter of the factory's manager. Yam tries to
convince his new girlfriend that he's a wealthy businessman
and Amy attempts to hide the truth about her background. All
the deceptions and the subterfuge of the workplace are mixed
into one when the factory workers are forced to pull together
after a major power cut.
With
the combination of Tsui Hark as director and the
ever-charismatic Samuel Hui as the leading star, it was to be
expected that the results would be entertaining. Although it
doesn't rank as top notch Hui or Hark, there is still much to
keep the viewer absorbed here. There's some very well handled
comic scenarios that manage to move from cliché to humour;
foremost among these is the romance between Samuel Hui and
Joey Wang which is oft-seen, but given a fresh treatment here.
Those expecting the typical Tsui Hark flair and innovation may
be disappointed by this straight-forward comedy, but it still
shows his ability to add something to even the most well-trod
narratives. 'Working Class' didn't set the film industry
alight on its release, but it is worthy of a strong three star
rating.
Rating:
 
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