Dong Pek Ham yu sheung O Wan (2004) User Reviews

Tentative steps towards reality

[Goloh · 6/10 · 18 August 2006]

If you see this as a sort of Chinese "coming of age" film, with a twist you can spot after only a few minutes, you won't be too far wrong. Set in contemporary urban Hong Kong, it's roughly the story of two young schoolmates, soccer fanatics, dealing with typical issues: school, friends, skills, poverty, growing up, and of course that twist. The acting is pretty good since it doesn't look like the principals were seasoned professionals, but the story did meander around and, because I'm not fluent in Cantonese, I know some key points didn't get translated well or at least sufficiently in the subtitles.

I give this "6" for likability and its honest attempt to portray current issues, though the film might have done with fewer dead ends in the story line along the way. The ending--which of course I can't give away--was nicely done.

If it wasn't for Miu...

[ewest1981 · 5/10 · 23 July 2009]

This movie isn't at all what I expected. I watched it because I wanted to see Michael Miu back in action after his long hiatus, so I rented every movie he's in since he came back on the silver screen. During this movie I just couldn't wait for his every scene. His character could have been developed so much better. He's so amazing that he should have had a bigger part. I can understand what the kids are going through, but still, some scenes could have been told in a shorter manner. There seems to be a long part in the middle where the story seems to be going nowhere. I did enjoy the movie though. It's essentially centered around two kids and I like the way the filmmaker captured the vibe of where the kids grow up. It's got the warmth of Asian film-making, which I enjoy tremendously.

Boring and annoying

[jm10701 · 3 February 2015]

I usually object to reviews that say you have to speak a certain language or have a particular background in order to appreciate a movie, but this movie definitely requires something I don't have.

The gay element is a VERY small part of this movie, and there's nothing at all new or even interesting about the way it's handled here. A sensitive gay kid has a crush on his obnoxious straight best friend, who finally insists that they wrestle half-naked in the rain. The movie seems to think that's progress, and more than one review I've read agrees.

But what makes this movie almost unbearable for me is its constant focus on soccer (one of the world's three most boring sports, along with basketball and American football) and on the minutiae of everyday life in Hong Kong, with much whining about the policies of their political leader. I have a feeling some of that tedious local stuff is meant to be funny, but it comes across to this foreigner as just annoying.

The subtitles translate only the Chinese dialog; when the kids jabber in English we're expected to understand what they're saying; this again seems to require viewers who are familiar with Hong Kong English as spoken by kids who are just starting to learn it. And often a long subtitle appears for only a fraction of a second, so frequent rewinding is essential.

The photography is muddy, sometimes looking like they smeared Vaseline on the lens, and it's usually either much too dark or much too light. The pacing of the movie is terrible, but that also may be a cultural thing (like the horrible music) - maybe to a Chinese viewer the pacing would seem perfect.

You may love this movie if you're Chinese, are obsessed with soccer, are originally from Hong Kong and miss its particular way of life, and have little interest in the joys and challenges of being gay. I had to force myself to keep watching it to the end.