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Beyond Our Ken

Original title: Gung ju fuk sau gei
  • 2004
  • 1h 38m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
681
YOUR RATING
Beyond Our Ken (2004)
Drama

A month after Wai Ming broke up with Ken, she finds nude pictures of her on his website. To get back at him, she teams up with his new girlfriend.A month after Wai Ming broke up with Ken, she finds nude pictures of her on his website. To get back at him, she teams up with his new girlfriend.A month after Wai Ming broke up with Ken, she finds nude pictures of her on his website. To get back at him, she teams up with his new girlfriend.

  • Director
    • Ho-Cheung Pang
  • Writers
    • Ho-Cheung Pang
    • Wing Sze Wong
  • Stars
    • Gillian Chung
    • Daniel Wu
    • Höng Tao
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.9/10
    681
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Ho-Cheung Pang
    • Writers
      • Ho-Cheung Pang
      • Wing Sze Wong
    • Stars
      • Gillian Chung
      • Daniel Wu
      • Höng Tao
    • 4User reviews
    • 6Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 4 nominations

    Photos

    Beyond Our Ken (2004)
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    Top cast

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    Gillian Chung
    Gillian Chung
    • Chan Wai Ching
    Daniel Wu
    Daniel Wu
    • Ken
    Höng Tao
    • Shirley
    Hin-Wai Au
    • Pub manager
    Tyson Chak
    • Male teacher
    Wai-Kee Cheung
    • Ken's Colleague
    Wai-San Cheung
    Sui-man Chim
    Sui-man Chim
    • Shirley's ex-boyfriend
    Siu-San Fung
    • Clinic nurse
    Woon-Ling Hau
    Woon-Ling Hau
    • Auntie Seven
    Ka-Fai Ho
    Chet Lam
    Chet Lam
    • Jaywalker
    Wai-Hang Lau
      Yuen-Yee Ng
      Yuen-Yee Ng
      • Ken's granny
      Emme Wong
      Jimmy Ga Lok Wong
      Jimmy Ga Lok Wong
      • Policeman
      Lai-Ying Woo
      • Teacher
      • Director
        • Ho-Cheung Pang
      • Writers
        • Ho-Cheung Pang
        • Wing Sze Wong
      • All cast & crew
      • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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      • Connections
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      User reviews4

      Review
      Review
      Featured review
      10/10
      One of the Most Enjoyable Art-House Movies In Existence
      The definition of "art-house" cinema is somewhat subjective, even though it's rather easily applied to specific movies. Some think that the term itself is obsolete, but it is a useful classification for those of us who watch "artsy" films as part of a greater cinematic portfolio. In any case, "Beyond Our Ken" was one of the first art-house movies that I fell in love with, and it's quite possibly my favorite – with the possible exception of "Green Tea" (2003). To be honest, the only reason I rented this was because it starred one of the Twins; and if a movie stars one of the Twins, then I simply need to watch it.

      Gillian Chung plays a woman who struggles with the recent breakup with her boyfriend and enlists the help of his current girlfriend to assist her. This movie is surprisingly different and subtle in its portrayal of relationships. The vision proposed is very refreshing, taking a more cynical point-of-view that throws away all of the sickly sweet fluff that dominates romantic comedies. "Beyond Our Ken" feels exceptionally different from most Hong Kong films in terms of it's relentless artistry and stylistic elements. For example, the breakup scene near the beginning has a side view of the couple as they sit in a restaurant. The placement of a hand-held camera behind a window pane is a nice choice here because it makes the viewer feel like they are actually in the restaurant, glancing at the couple. Also note that the glass pane is colored, casting the boyfriend in a blue shade – perhaps a symbol of his coldness. The whole setup of this sequence smacks of outstanding film-making. Unlike some other art-house films that bathe in self-masturbatory pretentiousness, "Beyond Our Ken" observes a perfect control of creating motion picture art while avoiding meaningless patches of nothingness. Everything has a purpose.

      Such is an expected result when the script is as tight and intelligent as it is here. One may not notice just how complex this film is until the final scene is played out in masterful fashion. If there's one particular type of movie that impresses me, it's one that subtly references events to one another throughout. An event or image that seems inconsequential near the beginning will be accentuated by a later event. Such tactics will fly right over your head if you're not paying attention, but that's what makes these East Asian art-house movies so entertaining and unique. Some viewers may scoff at the condensed structure of the finale, but it's really quite brilliant after you put all of the pieces together.

      The acting is excellent. Tao Hong is a shamelessly underrated actress who can light up the screen with the best in the business. Check out "Life Show" (2002) if you don't believe me. The decision to cast such a fantastic actress beside a developing talent has major advantages. Gillian Chung is a pop star who broke into acting as a marketing gimmick, but that doesn't stop her from contributing a respectable, breakout performance in "Beyond Our Ken." I'm sure that Hong's presence brought Gillian's game to the next level, if not by merely bringing a Mainland style that is somewhat different from your typical Hong Kong starlet. Daniel Wu is a hit-or-miss actor, but he shines nicely here as the ex-boyfriend that every teenage girl would love to hate.

      Ho-Cheung Pang is arguably the best director in Hong Kong today (with the possible exception of Johnnie To). His talent for crafting spectacular art-house films is the most obvious reason for granting him such praise. "Isabella" (2006) was a fantastic, highly intelligent drama and "Exodus" (2007) was a blackly comic piece that was enjoyable despite some pacing issues. However, "Beyond Our Ken" is his most amazing work because it succeeds at being highly entertaining on a minute-by-minute basis. Only a truly magnificent director could possibly construct the "key making mission" scene, which is amongst my most favorite sequences in any drama. The coordination of the camera movements and scoring are really great as we watch our two protagonists maneuver through a convenience store in an attempt to complete the mission. I never knew teenage girl angst could be so much fun.

      As a final note, we never got stuff like this during the "Golden Age." So maybe it's time to stop parroting the "Hong Kong cinema is dead" mantra and simply enjoy gems like this. An industry cutback in film production has some advantages. "Beyond Our Ken" proves that in convincing fashion.
      helpful•4
      5
      • ebossert
      • Jan 28, 2009

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      Details

      Edit
      • Release date
        • November 11, 2004 (Hong Kong)
      • Country of origin
        • Hong Kong
      • Official site
        • Official site
      • Languages
        • Cantonese
        • Mandarin
      • Also known as
        • 公主復仇記
      • Filming locations
        • Hong Kong, China
      • Production companies
        • Beijing Jinyinma Movie & TV Culture Co.
        • China Film Co-Production Corporation
        • Making Film
      • See more company credits at IMDbPro

      Box office

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      • Gross worldwide
        • $475,781
      See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

      Technical specs

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      • Runtime
        1 hour 38 minutes
      • Color
        • Color
      • Aspect ratio
        • 1.85 : 1

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