Forbidden City Cop
Reviewed by YTSL
It has been said of family man Wong Kar Wai that
he may be the Hong Kong movie maker who seems to best understand and represent
(on celluloid) lonely -- but still often romantically hopeful -- bachelors.
It may well be equally asserted of the never-been-married Stephen Chow and
Carina Lau that in their one cinematic collaboration to date, they have come
up with one of the most simultaneously fun and touching portraits of a happily
wedded couple to be found in any filmic offering, not least a Hong Kong movie
and/or primarily (intentionally) farcical production. And for the record:
Yes, this they did in a zany period action comedy sometimes described as
a companion piece to the “mo lei tau” (nonsense) king’s secret agent parody,
“From Beijing with Love” (whose Chinese title literally translates as “Made
in China: 007”); and the same one in which both a “flying fairy” “specimen”
and kungfu stance fairly prominently figure (along with an evil family, whose
faceless patriarch seeks to become ruler of China)!
The full of surprises FORBIDDEN CITY COP most definitely contains plenty
of laughter-, giggle- and smile-inducing sections. Many of these come
courtesy of the Chow man being put in the kind of absurd(ist) situations
and improbable gadget rich scenarios that those with less incredible imaginations
could never have been able to come up with and successfully pull off as well
as cram into a movie that effectively consists of two loosely connected episodes:
One of which centers on the news and attending of an announced medical conference
in the Gum Kingdom by the Chinese emperor as well as the imperial bodyguard
who prefers to be an inventor and gynecologist; and the other of which involves
the imperial personage asking his happily married protector to check out
a newly-arrived-in-town famously beautiful prostitute for him.
Other humorous moments and prime visual gags come by way of supporting cast
members like: Cheung Tat Ming (playing a monarch who has ample reason
to be initially displeased -- but later gratefully satisfied -- with the
least physically formidable of his hereditarily appointed personal guards);
an often bewigged Law Kar Ying (as the hapless sidekick called upon to do
such as disastrously demonstrate the mouth cannon...); co-director Vincent
Kuk (as the surgeon who attempts to dissect what he thinks is an extra-terrestrial
being); and music composer Tats Lau (as “the one who looks like a ghost”
and dresses -- and sometimes also sounds -- like a woman). Carmen Lee,
who sizzlingly portrays the bewitching Gum Kingdom temptress who threatens
to ruin the wedded bliss of Stephen Chow’s Ling Ling Fat (008) character,
also makes some memorable contributions to this tremendously pleasing movie
(that has a largely comic tenor but comes with those extreme mood swings
and dips into violence and drama that Hong Kong movie fans have often come
to take as second nature with regards to quite a few Jade Theatre works).
For this (re)viewer though, the great part of FORBIDDEN CITY COP’s charm
actually “just” comes from watching and hearing -- though I can’t understand
much of what they are saying, I definitely do notice the nuanced cadences
of their voiced speeches -- Stephen Chow and Carina Lau’s endearing characters
making the most of each other’s loving company. These two immensely
talented individuals -- the former of whom has co-scriptwriting and -directing
credits and the latter of whom apparently also had a major hand in the 1996
film’s costume design department -- work very well together as on-screen
“hubby” and “honey” (Few other duos could make a wrestling match seem so
cute and a husband’s attempt to successfully lie to his wife be so suspenseful,
then funny at a drop of a hat).
Even prior to viewing this offering, I had thought of Carina Lau as being
one of the most “giving” of actresses and consequently someone who often
makes her co-stars -- not just herself -- look very good (Cf. her pairing
with Charlie Yeung in “Intimates”, and her being part of the interesting
trio who are at the heart of “He’s a Woman, She’s a Man”). As for Stephen
Chow: While he is a master comedian on his own, he can only benefit
from a primary co-star of his vehicles who significantly adds to -- rather
than takes away from -- his efforts to amuse but also win over audiences.
Considering the abundant chemistry that the pair manifest when together,
it seems a real shame that the actress who always has an appealingly mature
air about her and the no less delightfully boyish looking -- and acting --
man have not partnered each other at least once more in the years since the
making, release and box office success of FORBIDDEN CITY COP.
My rating for the film: 8.5