Looking for Mister Perfect
Director: Ringo Lam
Year: 2003
Rating: 7.5
This should have
been titled “Ringo Needs a Vacation”. I figure that the genesis of this film
was that the generally very tightly wound and surly Ringo Lam was forced
by his wife to take a vacation and so they packed their suitcases and went
down to a dreamy beach resort in Malaysia. But after a few days of getting
sun burnt and slurping fruity drinks with umbrellas, Ringo began getting
restless and so when his wife was getting her hair done he called up a bunch
of actor friends and told them to come on down, the water is great and we
can expense it all by making a movie. Yay all the actors said – only too
happy to get a paid vacation – and so Hsu Chi, Lam Suet, Raymond Wong, Simon
Yam, Ruby Wong, David Wu, Hui Siu-hung, Andy On and Chapman To put on their
shorts and sandals and hightailed it to Malaysia before producer Johnny To
could come to his senses.
The film has that kind of relaxing laid back atmosphere to it as it mixes
comedy, romance and action into an adorable little package that feels like
waking up next to a freshly cut tropical fruit salad waiting for that first
yummy bite. The film is nearly all in jest and one should not take it seriously
for a moment. It is as if Ringo told his cast – we are here to have a good
time and work on our tans – so have fun with your characters. Though Hsu Chi
and Andy On are the main focus, it is a true ensemble effort that gives everyone
some quality screen time and allows Simon to steal the film whenever he shows
up.
There is nothing like two love birds giving each other smoldering looks
– no, not Hsu Chi and Andy On whose romantic moments have the electricity
of a dying fire fly – but that of Simon and Ruby. They may be the sweetest
and most endearing couple I have come across in a Hong Kong film in ages
– the fact that they are both complete psychos is of no importance – what
matters is that they are perfect for one another – and any couple that can
take time out for a waltz while trying to kill someone gets my vote as Couple
of the Year. Ruby is all punk cigar smoking gothic with a mean roundhouse
kick and not a lot to say until the final fight when she tells Andy to stop
using durians in their combat because it’s not fair! Simon does a retake
on his character in Lam’s Full Contact – snake boots, pink suits, a Pee Wee
Herman hair lick and flamboyancy up the kazoo – but obviously not gay here
– as he alternates between the flamenco and Irish dance in his fights. Both
would be perfectly at home as characters in a Batman movie.
It all begins with Hsu Chi in red sparkling hotpants – what better way to
begin any film – as an undercover cop in Hong Kong. She tracks down a suspect
and flips him to his death far below and starts having nightmares in which
a man in white saves her. Her model friend Isabel Chan is going off to Malaysia
for a photo shoot and has Hsu Chi come along for some R&R. Andy On and
Hui Siu-hung are at the resort looking for a stolen missile tracking system
and they get it into their heads that the two girls are there as buyers –
or at least they use this as an excuse to plant cameras in their room and
spy on the two girls doing girly things. Throw into this mix Lam Suet as a
lecherous hotel owner, Chapman To as a snitch from HK who co-incidentally
shows up, two suitors of Hsu Chi that chase her to Malaysia (Raymond Wong
is one of them) and of course Simon and Ruby who are behind everything.
For such a lightweight film, the action is surprisingly inventive, fresh,
fun and enjoyable to watch. The action choreographer is Li Chung-chi who was
previously responsible for the action in films such as Queens High, Red Zone,
a few of the Y&D films, the Gen Y/X films and the terrific A War Named
Desire. The scenes here have a real wit to them that fits wonderfully into
the overall light mood of the film. There are three main action scenes –
a small but clever fight between Simon and Andy, a jet ski race through a
village on stilts (the usual mayhem results) and the finale that begins with
a car/motorcycle chase and ends with a solid fight mixed with much silliness
between Andy, Simon and Ruby in which fruits and umbrellas are used to good
effect. Andy On – who was in the previous Black Mask II – displays some fine
action skills but otherwise has a rather lumbering undefined presence. It is goofy, it is silly, it is cute and it’s
the kind of film that you want to adopt and give it a good home. Everyone
looked like they were enjoying their little vacation and having fun and
so should most viewers.
