La Brassiere
Reviewed by YTSL
Starting with the smash summer 2000 hit that
was “Needing You...”, the doyen of the Milkyway Image production
company, Johnnie To, together with his frequent collaborator, Wai Ka Fai,
have shocked and surprised many Hong Kong film fans by coming up with a
string of comedic offerings (that include the not entirely successful “Help!!!”,
the exuberant “Wu Yen” and the actually sweet “Love on a Diet”) that were
as light as many of his previous works had been dark. Now it seems
like the director of the very first Milkyway Image effort (i.e., “Beyond
Hypothermia”) has followed suit, and audiences ought to feel glad that
Patrick Leung has done so plus hope that he -- and quite a few others who
had also worked on the moody and brooding “Born Wild” -- will henceforth
stick to crafting clever comedies like this late 2001 offering.
This is because LA BRASSIERE -- a pastel plus
candy color schemed laugh riot that centers on the Japanese head of the
international (but) all female Sis Group having ordered its Hong Kong branch
to bring aboard two men to design The Ultimate Bra (in no small part because
of her holding the belief that women wear that which these days have
decorative as well as functional purposes (largely) for men’s sake) --
is every bit as immensely inspired, entertaining and well-written as Patrick
Leung and co.’s earlier 2001 work was not. To its makers’ great (additional)
credit, this film with a potentially sexually divisive premise -- not least
since it attempts to answer the frequently frustrating question posed by
Sigmund Freud, among others, re “what do women want?” -- has turned out
to be one that shows ample signs of having been expertly fashioned together
with the input of intelligent -- yet hardly overly cerebral -- females
as well as males.
Alternatively put: LA BRASSIERE -- an immensely
fun film that nevertheless does contain some more or less serious messages,
including those that stress the value of cross-gender collaboration as
well as general team work -- really does seem to have benefited from those
who put it together having included a female co-scriptwriter (Amy Chin)
as well as executive, administrative and associate producers (in Amy Chin
(again), Tiffany Chen and Janet Chan) along with male co-directors, scriptwriters
and -executive producers (Chan Hing Kar was Patrick Leung’s co-helmer as
well as shared Amy Chin’s crew duties). At the same time, although
Carina Lau (who plays Samantha, the Sis Group’s Hong Kong branch boss)
and Gigi Leung (as Lena, a young woman whose (relatively) flat chest has
not impeded her from having a high degree of respect for -- and solid knowledge
of -- the female specific undergarments that she designs and help market)
do help ensure that this production has plenty of on screen star power,
Lau Ching Wan (as Johnny, a men’s brief specialist) and Louis Koo (as Wayne,
a product designer) are the individuals who are given the greatest opportunities
to shine -- as well as sportingly make fools of themselves to successfully
garner lots of laughs -- in an offering that has a distinct “only in Hong
Kong movies” feel to it, and is all the better for this being so.
The following are some hopefully (relatively)
spoiler free examples of what I consider to be Hong Kong movie specific
moments, occurences and developments in LA BRASSIERE: That which
ensue after Johnny and Wayne -- whose combined names make up that of the
famous macho icon whose birth name was Marion Michael Morrison -- get ordered
by Samantha to try their hands at bra shopping. Their paying a brief
-- pun intended! -- visit to consult a reputed bra expert known as Ali
Bra Bra (N.B. The bra seller played by Patrick Tam is somewhat strangely
identified in the English subtitles as a Bra Keeper). The two men
being challenged to wear bras and fake breasts -- to get a better idea
re how women physically feel -- for half a day by Lena (and Wayne not only
accepting the challenge on his and male colleague’s behalf but upping the
ante by announcing that they would also put on women’s underpants).
Wayne seeking to enlist the aid of his former girlfriends to get a handle
on the female form and, in the process, coming to the realization that
he additionally needed to learn more about the feminine psyche, himself,
and what he -- plus other men -- can offer women.
Lest it be thought that men have all the learning
to do and women the teaching in LA BRASSIERE, suffice to say that Samantha
and Lena do duly get baldly confronted with statements by the males who
mean something to them about what they want from women in general and the
object of their affection in particular. While this female does not
feel able to vouch for the validity of the assertions by the group of guys
in question (who include a fellow played by a cameo appearance making Stephen
Fung. Incidentally, some other cameos plus supporting performances
to watch out for are those by Karen Mok, Jo Kuk, Rosemary Vanderbrouke,
GC Goo Bi, Lee San San and Chikako Aoyama), she will attest to many of
the ones made by the women in this enjoyable offering -- including those
which may (initially) seem incredibly outrageous, if not downright brazen
-- often having a surprisingly true ring to them. When coupled with
the movie’s ability to engender a substantial amount of smiles, titters,
giggles and guffaws, it should be small wonder why I couldn’t resist viewing
this at times admittedly quite silly -- but never ever stupid -- work twice
in two days (and three times in less than three weeks!) plus effectively
strong-arming a couple of my (female) friends into checking out.
My rating for this film: 9.
Reviewed by Brian
La Brassiere is La Brilliant. La Brassiere
is La Bon Appetite. La Brassiere is La Bonjour and La Bonsoir. La Brassiere
is sexy, funny and utterly charming. La Brassiere is sharp, tangy and as
delicious as a mint julep. Not that I’ve ever had a mint julep. In fact
I have no idea what even goes into a mint julep, but I am trying to come
up with zippy lines that might make it into a blurb in a newspaper movie
ad someday. “La Brassiere is a rondelay of wit, laughs and young, scantily
clad women” quotes The View from the Brooklyn Bridge. Not that this film
will likely ever make it to your local multiplex, but it certainly deserves
to - because it is in fact all of the above.
I suppose it is rather sad that at this point
in my life I finally realize my calling – to work in a brassiere design
office. Not necessarily to design them – just to work in an office where
everyone is female, young, beautiful and male deprived – and where models
walk around dressed in only the flimsiest of undergarments. An office environment
where the boss (Carina) unbuttons her blouse in a business like manner
to show the fellows how important a bra is to a woman, an office environment
where the head of design (Gigi) inspires the man to build the perfect bra
by taking his hand and inserting it inside her blouse to cover her breast
– this is the feeling she says “that a woman wants from a bra”. I would
gladly be the official cup holder.
So it’s a bit of a fantasy world that Lau Ching-wan
and Louis Koo find themselves in and they love every minute of it. So did
I. This is one of the most amusing films I have come across in a while
– sometimes witty, sometimes just plain silly – but consistently funny
and it never allows itself to bog down in office romances or plot. The
romances are there – but are treated with a light sorbet touch that never
diverts attention from the main purpose of this film - to have fun. The
four leads seem to be having the time of their lives – and all come off
very well in a Cary Grant/Rosalind Russell stylish sort of way. There are
a few scenes – in particular the one in which Lau and Louis try on the
bras with assorted fruits inside – that have the cast on the verge of hysterics.
The other classic scene is when in a Yoda/Skywalker like moment of revelation,
the two men mind meld with the bra and can see everything. It is priceless.
Having Lau Ching-wan back on the big screen after
an extended absence is terrific and he shows why he was missed so much
in one of his most natural and charming performances ever. And to see Carina
in something that is worthy of her talents as opposed to the ilk of Cop
Shop Babes is a pleasure. The two youngsters – Louis Koo and Gigi Leung
– acquit themselves in fine fashion as well and show an ability to laugh
at themselves. I still wonder though what Ekin thought of that Gigi hand
insertion scene! To look at this film with a steely eye, one would have
to admit that it is very frivolous – like grown up frat boys on one last
joy ride – but it is a frivolity that all can join in with.
My rating for this film: 8.5