LOVE IS NOT A GAME, BUT A JOKE (1998)

Starring: Andy Hui, Lam Hoi Fung, Wallace Chung Hong Leung, Shu Qi, Theresa Li, Christine Ng Wing Mei, Wan Yeung Ming, Wong He, Tats Lau

A quirky movie about three guys returning from America to find the girl of their dreams. Seemingly original but ultimately falls down the path of cliched love tales that offers no worthwhile solutions.

Paul (Andy Hui), Eddie (Lam Hoi Fung) and Leslie (Wallace Chung) have made a pact to spend one month living in a cheap hotel - their purpose is to use this time to find Karen, a girl they had met at college in the States. However, within this month, all three of them encounter situations that would ultimately steer them along a route not of their original intent.

Paul meets Li Lai Shan (Shu Qi), a policewoman, who was once a classmate during his childhood. She had been dumped by her boyfriend, Shing (Wan Yeung Ming), a triad boss, and is moping around trying to desperately to find him.

Eddie meets Sabrina, a married bus driver, whose womanly ways and a good choice of perfume lures Eddie into her path. Meanwhile, Leslie has been troubled by Pumpkin (Theresa Li), a homeless girl who ran away from her home.

As the three of them spend time with their new companions, they begin to feel that their original plan in finding Karen has been a waste of time, and that they graduallly discover that each of them has fallen in love with these new women in their lives. But not everything ends in happiness, as each of them realises.

The film focuses heavily on emotions and how our feelings would change over a given time, especially when different situations are presented to us. It also emphasises the fact that men are a fickle bunch, and when a new person enters their lives, they would easily forget the past. Not easily forgettable is when the new person brings heavy baggage along with them, enough to ensure that the relationship is anything but tranquil.

Being a love story (or stories), the film has a lot of deep bonding moments, but it has been tackled in a way that it doesn't become tacky or juvenile. Heavy emphasis is placed on the silences and eye contact, while the dialogue is kept to a minimum. What also helps the film is a rousing soundtrack that keeps the pace without making it feel tedious. Thoroughly enjoyable, but don't expect a classic love story.

RATING

7 / 10