Dry Wood Fierce Fire (2002)

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Director:

Wilson Yip

Writers:

Chi-kin Kwok (as Kwok Tsz Kin), Gu He (as He Gu)

Stars:

Louis Koo, Miriam Chin Wah Yeung, Flora Chan

Cast

Credited cast:
Louis Koo	...	Ryan Li (as Louise Koo)
Miriam Chin Wah Yeung	...	Alice Tsui (as Miriam Yeung)
Flora Chan	...	Michelle
Wyman Wong	...	Kung-Fu Master
Meng Lo	...	Dr. Tsui (as Tubo Law)
King-Tan Yuen	...	Mrs. Tsui (as King Dan Yuen)
Tat-Ming Cheung	...	Fly Chun (as Tat Ming Cheung)
Chapman To
Matt Chow
Nelson Cheung
Joe Lee	...	(as Joe Li)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Man Man Chan
Wah-Leung Chim	...	Doorman
Fung Lee	...	(as Fung Li)
Man-Yiu Lee

Storyline

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Details

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Cantonese

Release Date:

19 April 2002 (Hong Kong)

Also Known As:

Dry Wood Fierce Fire

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,704,492

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mandarin Films Distribution, Fresh Air Team, 1618 Action Limited

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

Louis Koo is credited as Louise Koo, and Turbo Law is credited as Tubo Law.

User Reviews

Fire without spark

A Chinese doctor/herbalist has the uncanny ability to discern a problem with just a superficial touch on the pulse and look at the tongue. This little romantic comedy about such a person could benefit from such an exam.

Although many of the ingredients for success are here, something doesn't quite gel. Koo has played this same type of role many times, and, in watching this movie, I was instantly reminded of Koo and Sammi Cheng in "Love for All Seasons" -- another movie about a handsome player who gets hooked up with a misfit female Chinese medicine practitioner with a talent for Kung Fu. In both films, the player has his sights set on the successful beauty while the misfit heroine pines away for him. While nowhere near as wacky as "Love for All Seasons" (2003), "Dry Wood, Fierce Fire" (2002) lacks the incredulous "convincibility" of the Cheng-Koo film and the goofy charm that inexplicably existed between the guileless Cheng and worldly Koo. Yeung here seems to get off to a well-intentioned but false start. The humor is thin and seems unable to sustain the plot shortcomings.

While a fan of Yeung's music, I confess I thought this was the first Yeung film I'd seen and that it may have been her first film-- apparently, it wasn't. She had appeared previously in Feel 100% II (also with Sammi Cheng) but something had rendered her presence in the earlier film a blank in my mind. I think that's because while quite pleasant, Yeung is not as dynamic as the screen demands her to be-- at least here. Pity. A touch more over the top goofiness and she might have nailed it. But she does come close at times, just not quite enough. At times, she seemed downright uncomfortable in character. She never owned it, nor did she seem to be enjoying it the way she should have been.

I think there is an inevitable, uncomfortable comparison to Cheng here. This is the type of film that Cheng thrives on. Moreover, Yeung's "new hair cut" and reddish tint when her character makes the great leap forward are all too identifiable with Cheng. The fault isn't all Yeung's, tepid writing and some pacing problems are evident, stranding the potential comic romantic misfire in a state of perpetual kindling. On the whole a not so bad, mildly sweet little movie that might have been a little more.

5.5 out of 10 for a good solid, supporting cast and some moments of tempered sweetness.