Ah Kam (1996)

A few years in the life of Ah Kam, starting with her joining action director Master Tung's team of regulars.

Director:

Ann Hui

Writers:

Kin Chung Chan, Man Keung Chan

Stars:

Michelle Yeoh, Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, Ken Lo

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michelle Yeoh	...	Ah Kam
Sammo Kam-Bo Hung	...	Chief Tung
Ken Lo	...	Ah Long
Hoi Mang	...	Copy (as Hoi Man)
Micheal Lam	...	Long Hair
Nick Cheung	...	Whacko
Paco Yick	...	Wah
Fai Chan	...	Chan
Crystal Kwok	...	Roomate
Rain Lau	...	Scarlet
Jimmy Ga Lok Wong	...	Sam (as Jimmy Wong)
Kent Cheng	...	Blackjack
Richard Ng	...	Detective
Satoshi Okada	...	Sam / Braided Chan - Evil
Damian Lau	...	Lawyer

Storyline

A study of the career of Ah Kam, the plot is divided into three sub-plots. The first is a behind-the-scenes look at a stunt company. Ah Kam progresses from stunt extra to action director under the tutelage of, and then with growing independence from, director Master Tung. In chapter two, Ah Kam falls in love with a rich playboy businessman. Ah Kam is downgraded into playing a fancy-coiffed karaoke club hostess and a male adornment. And then she meets her replacement adornment. Chapter three is a wild triad.

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Plot Keywords:

behind the scenes | kung fu | title directed by female | stuntwoman | hong kong | 

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Genres:

Action | Drama

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Details

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Cantonese

Release Date:

10 October 1996 (Hong Kong)

Also Known As:

The Stunt Woman

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Michelle Yeoh suffered a serious injury when she misjudged an 18-foot jump from a bridge onto a truck. She fractured a vertebra and was in traction for a month.

User Reviews

Interesting if overlong drama with a wonderful Michelle Yeoh

"The Stunt Woman" is far from a perfect film - it is quite slow and meandering - but it gives Michelle Yeoh the chance to show her stuff in an atypical dramatic role: instead of playing an aggressive, super-confident superwoman, she is just a simple, easygoing, unassuming, brave woman trying to earn her living by doing what she's best at, doubling actors for dangerous movie stunts. Her mature, restrained performance is pretty much the whole show here - and she looks great, too. The film is absorbing most of the way, but I have to be honest here: when Sammo Hung's character (an action director) advises an aspiring screenwriter to "liven up" his romantic tragedy with a few fight scenes, I thought that this film itself might have benefited from a similar approach. OK, it was obviously designed as a change-of-pace for its stars, but it still seems kind of wasteful to have Michelle, Sammo and Ken Lo in your movie and have a total of about 3 short fight scenes in it. (**1/2)