Ga goh yau chin yan (2002)

User Rating:

5.2/10   

Director:

Vincent Kok

Release Date:

7 February 2002 (Hong Kong)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance | Fantasy

Plot Keywords:

Chinese

Cast

Sammi Cheng	...	Mi
Richie Ren	...	Christmas Yan
Stefania De Peppe	...	Milan's city cop
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Maria Chen	...	Sonreysia
Jan Lamb	...	Wilson
Becky Lee	...	Chan Chai Chung
Candy Lo	...	MT
Fung Woo	...	Uncle D (as Fung Wu)

Also Known As:

Jia ge you qian ren (Hong Kong: Mandarin title)
Marry a Rich Man (International: English title)

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Cantonese | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Malaysia:U | Hong Kong:IIA | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Milan, Lombardia, Italy

Company:

Sil-Metropole Organization

Soundtrack:

Glass slipper

Missing The Chemistry

It must be hard these days to come up with a decent Rom Com script, but someone has to do it right? The mismatched couple, throw in some ups and downs and of course the happy ending at the end and there you go. Ok, maybe be adventurous and throw in a couple of twists as well.

If there ever was a film that felt manufactured, this was it. Let me tell you a story, but stay awake... Me (or Mi, depending on whether you read the box or the subtitles on the DVD) works for her dad as a bottled gas seller in a Hong Kong village. On one delivery she discovers that her former classmates have all married rich men. Jealous, she seeks to marry a rich man, when in a Truman Show-esque way, a manual on how to find a rich man to marry falls at her feet. Following the instructions, she finds a rich man by the name of Dan (or Mas - see note above - or Chris - see film or not, if you prefer), on a flight to Milan, only to find out that he's not nearly as rich as she first thought...

Whilst there is more I could say about the plot, the risk of telling you what remains of the thin story line would spoil it if you do feel the urge to go out and see the film. But before you do, here's a couple of other reasons why you might not.

The on-screen chemistry between Sammi Cheng (who plays Mi) and Richie Ren (Mas) is seriously thin. I guess that partly is because they only appear together on screen for probably 30 mins of the film in total. If that wasn't enough, Richie Ren's un-mastery of the Cantonese language bugs you so much during the film. So much so that they have to make fun of it in the script. Whilst I was able to put up with it in Summer Holiday, Cheng and Ren's previous outing together, it was rather excruciating this time round.

Whilst I wouldn't say that this film is the worst that Sammi has made (Killing Me Tenderly and Needing You are far worse), it was a disappointment for me, as I generally do feel that most of her movies are good. Richie Ren, however, has a long way to go. Whilst Fly Me To Polaris was his highlight and launch pad into the movies, he really has to work hard on his on screen presence and maturity. In particular, I think he needs to learn to play a character and not himself.

As for the plot, well, it's the basic for a Rom Com, but when the actors don't build any chemistry in, frankly, you'd get more sparks at the bottom of a swimming pool. Not even the glamorous and beautiful locations of Milan and Lake Como in Italy could salvage this.

One to put on to annoy someone.