Opening Day: 25 August 2005

Synopsis:

An amusing story of a girl who can drink plenty without getting drunk, and a young man who gets tipsy easily after a few drinks.

Siu Man is a cheerful barmaid who is popular among bar-owners and customers alike. As she witnessed how men got drunk and made fools of themselves every night, this make her wary of men and want to remain single. Michael is a dejected chef, whose ultimate dream is to win the Blue Ribbon Chef Grand Honor and getting recognition in the culinary world.

Their paths crossed in the most unlikely way and sparks flew...

Movie Review:

Siu Man is a gung-ho plain Jane who promotes beer; her threshold for alcohol is extraordinary. Michael is a prince charming-type French cuisine chef; he succumbs to alcohol as the sun to the moon at night. By the movie laws of opposites attract, the two first become roommates and business partners, then friends, then lovers. It is a typical Hong Kong comedy, made even more typical by the casting (no doubt deliberate) of rising comedienne Miriam Yeung and her two-time co-star Daniel Wu.

Yeung is a natural comedienne; where she may lack in the looks department (according to the less than forgiving standards of Hong Kong cinema) she makes up for with her irresistibly likeable personality; one can’t help but feel endeared and drawn towards her adorable antics. A lesser damsel-type actress would have made the deliberate hiding of a boyfriend’s personal effects appear desperate and needy, but we laugh, in spite of ourselves, when Yeung does it. While Daniel Wu’s winning looks – immediately enhanced by the chef uniforms and sharp suits that he periodically dons – will definitely attract a considerable number of moviegoers, it is no doubt Yeung’s magnetic personality that radiates and makes this otherwise ordinary comedy work.

The supporting cast provides a bunch of genuinely hilarious scenes as well, the most prominent being Siu Man’s longtime gangster-admirer, “ninth brother”. Ninth Brother plays the uncouth softie to Michael’s cultured gentleman; his all but tough guy ways endlessly amusing and scene-stealing. I found the comedy well done, if typical; it isn’t gut-wrenching laughter, but entertaining nonetheless.

There are efforts to insert more layers to the characters, especially Michael, who grapples some career and commitment issues, but the transition in plot is confusing and the direction rather disappointing, considering some of the work Derek Yee has done. The love story evokes little affection among the audience and begins to lose steam as the shifts in tone become abrupt and careless, the excuses made for the couple’s union and breakup are simply too flimsy to thoroughly engage. Granted, the movie is supposed to be a lighthearted one, but it is still a romantic comedy with criteria to fulfill.

The romantic comedy genre is perhaps one of the most abused in the industry, for the simple reason that it is genuinely difficult to produce a solid romantic comedy. “Drink Drank Drunk” made certain attempts at striking a balance between comedy and romance, but it failed to bank in on the comedy (and Miriam Yeung), which would have earned the movie a better review. It’s hardly a chore to sit through, as mentioned, Miriam Yeung and Daniel Wu provide hilarious and eye-candy respite, but it could have been so much better.

Movie Rating:

(Despite starting off strong, it begins to sputter and stall as the focus is taken off Miriam Yeung. “Drink Drank Drunk” is ultimately under-utilized but good for some laughs)

Review by Angeline Chui