My Name is Nobody
Who started the rumor that Nicky Cheung was the
next big funny man in HK films? I keep seeing his films and have looked
for a glimmer of comic genius with no success thus far. I wonder if I am
missing something, but if I am so was everyone else at the Music Palace
watching his latest film – My Name is Nobody. I didn’t hear anything approaching
a guffaw or a giggle the entire 90-minutes of running time. This film is
about as funny as a dead cat stuck in your drain.
Now admittedly, the story is a supposed mix of
comedy and drama, but both are so lame that it is difficult to discern
which is which. The only time that the audience made any appreciable sound
was on the first sighting of Hsu Chi. I thought the fellow on my left was
going to leap out of his seat and kiss the screen! She is gorgeous and
seeing her on a large screen is quite a treat. The film does indulge us
with a few lovely close ups of her. Perhaps it is only my prejudice showing,
but she is the best and only thing in this film worth viewing. She actually
puts a bit of zest into her role – but regretfully the film really revolves
around Nicky Cheung and Wong Jing.
Nicky Chueng – called Nobody – is a gambler/swindler
in cahoots with Wong Jing and they manage to make a good living taking
suckers in cards and mah-jong. Long stretches of the film are taken up
with these games that have the dramatic impact of a car commercial. One
day he sees Hsu Chi modelling on the streets of HK (it’s a stunning sequence
of shots of Hsu Chi) and becomes entranced. It turns out that she is a
blind model trying to save up enough money for an eye operation. He chases
after her and wins her with his . . . I am not sure – charm I guess – though
it is invisible to me.
To make a few big scores, he and Wong go to Shenzen
where they run into a triad big shot who forces Cheung and Wong to work
with him. All goes well for a while, but there is a falling out and the
film suddenly turns serious. The film actually takes an ugly and very unsatisfying
turn that made me yearn for the earlier attempted comedy. For Hsu Chi completists
only.
My rating for this film: 4.0
