The Last Dance

I went in watching this not knowing a single thing but was weeping by the end of it. This is a character-driven movie with well-written characters. I'm not sure if it was intended but the start of the movie made me slightly uncomfortable (?) because the protagonist was clearly in it for the money, which was understandable because he had a lot of debts. However as the movie progressed and Dominic (the protagonist) gained more experience in the funeral business, he also became more empathetic and respectful of not only the dead but the dead's family. It was really good but the one aspect of this movie that hit me the most was the relationship between Hello-man and Man Yuet, his daughter. Throughout most of the movie they barely got along but it was when crisis struck that he and his daughter started getting closer. They didn't have a perfect relationship but they loved each other in their own ways and it's another parent-daughter dynamic that reminded me of the quote from Arcane, "Is there anything so undoing as a daughter?"

I didn't want to go see a movie about a Hong Kong funeral director, but my wife made me go. Sounded boring. But WOW. This is one of those rare movies that can appreciated by all cultures and all age groups. It's a dark comedy that can make you smile or have tears of compassion well up in your eyes -- even as you follow the story in subtitles. I am not familiar with the Chinese actors, I hear that some of them are very well known, and I can see why. They were all brilliant, bringing to live a screenplay that is rich in emotion and drama. Solid editing and post-production work as well. Catch it if you can. Maybe someday it will even be on Netflix!

I snuck into this film expecting absolutely nothing, since I was unaware of even its title. Asians dominated the crowd of 25 matinee, so I figured it was an Asian film. This was such a beautiful experience to have unfold before me. Standup comic Dayo Wong is Dominic. His wedding planning business went bust during Hong Kong Covid. But his girlfriend's retiring Uncle Ming has turned over his half stake in his funeral business to him. The other half is held by Master Man (Michael Hui), a well regarded Taoist priest. MM lives with his ambulance driver daughter Yuet (Michelle Wai) and son Ben, who is continuing the Taoist tradition. Ben in turn has a wife and son. Dom visits often. He implements a lot of wacky money making ideas. But it's also a very dramatic film. The priest performs the "breaking hell's gate" ritual, which liberates dead souls so they can move on, as he did with his own deceased wife. Women are forbidden from such jobs, and Yuet is still holding a grudge. All the characters are very well developed. There are beautiful establishing shots of Hong Kong. I was very moved by the film and there was detectable crying in the audience. I would definitely try to see it. It was first released in HK, England, then Ireland. Now the US in very limited release. Anselm Chan is a fine writer/director.

I'm usually adamant about even the saddest films, but somehow, this film made me cry like a baby. It explores themes that are so vivid and in such an in-depth way. It manages to combine both humour and sadness, and not only that but it excels at the timing and balance of it. I loved the vulnerability and character development. The relationship dynamic between the characters is so sweet and meaningful. The incredible film overall definitely changes your perspective on a lot of things, and dare I say it is a life-changing film. I wish I could rewatch this film again as if I did for the first time. I Love Michael hui btw.

You can never compare this film with other title that shoot for a far bigger picture or genre.

But this film is a lead example of masterpiece, doing everything well within its lane, especially with such a non-mainstream topic about some Chinese funeral ceremony. It is absolutely amazing how the director and team able to tell a story/paint a beautiful picture around this topic.

It has great acting, although the pace at the first part of the film might be a little slow for some audience, but it was just interesting enough to keep my attention. With that, the film has great introduction to all the major characters in this story in order to move into act 2 and 3.

Beautiful film that send great message without shoving it down your throat. None of the actors' performance or the scripts were written over the top that it became unrealistic or forcing a emotional reaction. But rather a natural state of flow that takes the audience emotion for a ride.

The best film from HK so far.