You have to like Steven Chau as a writer, a sharp social critic, before you're qualified to evaluate his work. It's like being totally in tune with a particular person on aspects of life, views, taste, interaction, to be critical of him/her as a person.
I'm a diehard fan of Steven Chau from day one and everything he does (and I believe he puts his heart and soul in every project he's made) I appreciate. I of course is a Cantonese person, and grew up in the same social environment as he, despite our age difference.
This film was at first not intended to be made, much less shown. I heard (no proof here) Steven had a contract with a conglomerate to produce 5 blockbusters in 5 years but by the last Chinese New Year season his current film for this season wasn't ready so instead he produced this film just in time as a substitute. At first I thought such a hurriedly made film must be cheaply made, and shoddy in many areas that required careful handling, but on seeing it, the contrary was found to be true.
In this film, Steven's dialogues, characterisations, plot turns are all meticulously written. Outstanding characterisation are the main character's father, her betraying boy friend, the exaggerated parody on film actors and directors. The story contains many heart rending turns in personal failures, loss, betrayal of trust and love, hopelessness which are typically imbedded in all of Steven Chau's drama, to be given balm at some point in the film with moral victory, love reciprocated, the good's final prevalence.
The film didn't do particularly well in the box office, perhaps because today's viewers didn't appreciate these fine classical qualities for they had expected more slapstick laughs and the like from Chau. But to write a piece that impelled its audience not just to laugh (for the many silliness in the film) but to tear in earnest in compassion for the characters and events is a sure sign of Steven Chau's greatness.
