My Young Auntie (1981) Cheung booi (original title)

Director:

Chia-Liang Liu

Writer:

Chia-Liang Liu (screenplay)

Release Date:

1981 (Hong Kong)

Genre:

Action | Comedy

Plot Keywords:

Fainting Girl | Masquerade | Dance | High Heels | Nylons

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Chia-Liang Liu	...	Yu Ching-Chuen
Kara Hui	...	Cheng Tai-Nan
Hou Hsiao	...	Charlie Yu Tao
Lung Wei Wang	...	Yu Yung-Sheng
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tung-kua Ai
Tat-wah Cho	...	Ching Fu, Iron Man of Canton
Yeong-mun Kwon
King Chu Lee
Hui Huang Lin
Ke Ming Lin
Chia Hui Liu	...	James
Te-Lo Mai	...	Robert
Hsin Shen
Shan Tai
Wilson Tong
Sing-Kwong Tsang
Ching Ho Wang
Sha Wang
Tak Yuen		(as Te Yuan)

Directed by
Chia-Liang Liu

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Chia-Liang Liu		screenplay

Produced by
Mona Fong	....	producer
Chia-Hsi Huang	....	assistant producer
Run Run Shaw	....	producer

Original Music by
Eddie Wang		(as Eddie W. Wang)

Cinematography by
Peter Ngor

Film Editing by
Hsing-lung Chiang
Yen Hai Li		(as Yen-Hai Li)

Art Direction by
Johnson Tsao

Costume Design by
Chi-Yu Liu

Makeup Department
Yen-Lien Peng	....	hair stylist
Hsu-Ching Wu	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Pa-Ching Huang	....	assistant director
Tai-Heng Li	....	assistant director

Art Department
Kuo-wei Huang	....	props
Yu Lai	....	props

Sound Department
Ping Kuang Hsu	....	sound recordist

Stunts
Hou Hsiao	....	stunt coordinator
King Chu Lee	....	stunt coordinator
Chia-Liang Liu	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Fen Chen	....	lighting technician
Ting Bong Yuen	....	lighting technician

Other crew
Kang Lin	....	production assistant
Yu-chuan Tsai	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Shaw Brothers

Distributors

• Dragon Dynasty (2007) (USA) (DVD) (special collector's edition)

Also Known As:

"Cheung booi" - Hong Kong (original title)
"Fangs of the Tigress" - USA

Runtime:

121 min

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Cantonese | Mandarin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M (2007)

Company:

Shaw Brothers

Charming Tale of an Odd Generational Gap

If you're looking for a kung-fu action movie, look elsewhere. While there are fighting scenes, the film revolves around its provincial protagonist, who struggles to find her way in Americanized Canton. Unlike most "kung-fu comedies," the action scenes are used to reinforce the comedy, instead of the other way around.

Cheung Booi is a statement about the farcical nature of kung-fu movies, where the stars always seem to find some reason to fight. Instead of some grand drama about honor and respect, minor misunderstandings cause the characters to yell at each other and start beating each other up.

My Young Auntie, as it's known in the West, is the story of Cheng Tai-nun, played by Kara Hui, who is a young woman who marries an elderly landowner to keep his holdings from falling into the hands of his greedy and corrupt brother. After he dies, she moves to Canton to live with her nephew, played by director Lau Kar Leung, and his son Ah Tao, played by Hsiao Ho.

The basis of the irony is that although Cheng is the same age as Ah Tao, her manner is more akin to her status as his step-great-aunt. While Ah Tao speaks English (extremely poorly), plays the guitar and goes to costume parties, Cheng utterly fails when she tries to adapt to her lifestyle in Canton, complete with makeup, revealing gowns, high heels and dance scenes.

What makes this movie great is its realization. Lau Kar Leung is perhaps one of the greatest, if not the greatest director of his generation in Hong Kong, and Kara Hui won "Best Actress" at the first Hong Kong Film Awards in 1982. Also, this is arguably Hsiao Ho's finest performance. His chemistry with Hui is remarkable, and although he went on to have a storied career in kung-fu comedies, often working alongside Sammo Hung, he has the perfect combination of athleticism and comedy. As the romantic tension and intrigue build in the second half of the movie, his entire countenance changes. No longer does he easily jaunt through life without a care in the world. He becomes the straight man and his cohorts the Kramer, Elaine and George.

My one complaint is how suddenly the comedic aspects of the film die off during the conclusion. The film transitions from outright farce to dramatic intrigue with little but a change in incidental music. But there is a certain symmetry in it. The film begins focused on the intrigue, focused more on Lau Kar Leung's character, and it ends that way, too. But the final scene returns to the movie's comedic roots, giving conclusion to both aspects of the film.