Juliet in Love
Reviewed by YTSL
According to the magazine description of the
airline in whose plane I saw this movie (and yes, it was the first time
I watched a Hong Kong film while thousands of feet above ground), that
which was on view is a romantic comedy. In all honesty, I am at a
loss to explain how it can be perceived as such. Instead, IMHO, this
low-key Wilson Yip-helmed and Joe Ma-produced work is actually much more
of a sensitive -- and sometimes somber -- dramatic piece. After all,
we are talking about an offering whose: Main female character (Judy,
not Juliet, is well portrayed by character actress - not just comic
-- Sandra Ng) - is someone who the gods have latterly not treated too kindly;
and dominant personality is a man (Jordon - and no, this is NOT a
typo on my part -- is equally commendably essayed by Francis Ng) whose
happy-go-lucky ways cannot hide the fact that he is one of life's losers.
More specifically: Judy is a woman whose
husband left her after she suffered a medical calamity and whose beloved
grandfather is rather senile as well as frail; while Jordon is a ne'er
do well who isn't mean enough to be the kind of ruffian that people are
apt to be scared by yet is hardly the kind of man who can live a law-abiding
kind of life. The paths of JULIET IN LOVE's far from glamorous and
happy protagonists cross when Jordon tries to jump the long waiting queue
for tables at the restaurant where Judy is in charge of bookings and seating
arrangements. Sometime later, not only do they meet again -- while
Judy is on her way to the hospital to check up on her grandfather, who
had had an accident; and Jordon on his way to rescue a henchman (played
by Tats Lau) from menacing debt collectors - but they actually get saddled
with a baby - whose parent neither of them is -- to look after. Over
the course of a fair amount of time, the two different-temperament-but-both-lonely
souls bond and also come to know more about the other while looking after
a human being who is more helpless than either of them...
Though it could easily have been, JULIET IN LOVE
is saved from being a major downer of a movie by its somehow containing
and sending out a lot of warm vibes. This is due in some part to
Matt Chow's generally nicely nuanced script emphasizing that small rendered
deeds - including such as the purchase of a pair of cheap slippers or a
dozen bottles of a well known soft drink along with the loaning or claiming
of a set of keys -- can have a considerable impact on the lives of people.
The definite abilities of the production's actors - to not only keep their
characters from becoming mere caricatures but also, with a few broad strokes,
infuse them with some humanity - surely played a part too in this being
so (The standout cast includes: Simon Yam as a Triad boss named Cheng
who is as concerned with being a good father to his children as ensuring
that he and his men get the respect he thinks they are due; Lam Suet as
the most brutish of Cheng's minions; Eric Kot as Judy's shy suitor cum
driving instructor; and the senior actor - whose name I do not know --
who played the grandfather who inexplicably believed that "No Coke, no
hope"). The wonderful cinematography - which makes what would otherwise
be mundane surroundings and scenes appear special -- was an additional
element which contributed to my enjoying viewing this quality offering
(and recognizing that it had more care lavished on it than your average
year 2000 Hong Kong cinematic production).
This is not to say however that this is a faultless
film. For one thing, though quite a few of its details can be rather
charming, this (re)viewer is not particularly sure what is the ultimate
point of this cinematic - and emotional -- exercise. Most notably,
it is my sense that the movie had an unsatisfying ending which worked to
unfortunately undo or undermine much of what had been achieved earlier
in the production. Something else that bugs -- and I realize that
here I risk sounding like Paul Fonoroff or other PC moralizers but I still
feel some obligation to complain about - is that of JULIET IN LOVE's director
and/or scriptwriter either being a serious victim of Coca-colonialism or
guilty of taking prominent product placement to an even greater extreme
than the folks who orchestrated the Pringles insertion into the happy ending
of Stephen Chow's "King of Comedy". While commercial sponsorship
is very much a part of - and can actually be a source of in-joke amusement
with regards to -- Hong Kong movies, this was one case when it became too
obvious, illogical and actually disquieting.
My rating for the film: 7.
DVD Information:
Distributed by Mei Ah
The transfer quality is very good - quite sharp
and clean for the most part.
Letterboxed
Cantonese and Mandarin language tracks - Dolby
and Dolby 5.1 Surround
Subtitles: Chinese , English, Nil.
9 Chapters
It includes it's own trailer and one for Peace
Hotel.
The sub-titles are easy to read.