Ga goh yau chin yan

People make wishes every day, but just imagine what would happen if someone with the power to grant a wish actually heard yours? The old adage of being careful about what you wish for definitely comes into play as Sammi Cheng, after an accidental encounter with some former snotty schoolmates, decides the answer to all life's troubles is to marry a rich man.

Sammi starts off with a mild charm as a happy-go-lucky village girl you want to root for. She's got a quirky best friend (too bad she didn't have more scenes!), a lazy father, and a job that's probably far from every girl's dream. Like Cinderella, she has her share of drudgery but she's got it better. She's also got it worse in that her prince charming just doesn't quite cut it. Richie Ren may drive some girls wild but there's definitely something amiss here-- mostly a miscast. In fact, his scenes are sometimes quite hard to take. Pity.

But for Ren, this movie had some decent elements. It's preposterous and silly-- it is meant to be romantic fluff, after all, and lightweight stuff is what Sammi does reasonably well.

It must be hard these days to come up with a decent Rom Com script, but someone has to do it right? The mismatched couple, throw in some ups and downs and of course the happy ending at the end and there you go. Ok, maybe be adventurous and throw in a couple of twists as well.

If there ever was a film that felt manufactured, this was it. Let me tell you a story, but stay awake... Me (or Mi, depending on whether you read the box or the subtitles on the DVD) works for her dad as a bottled gas seller in a Hong Kong village. On one delivery she discovers that her former classmates have all married rich men. Jealous, she seeks to marry a rich man, when in a Truman Show-esque way, a manual on how to find a rich man to marry falls at her feet. Following the instructions, she finds a rich man by the name of Dan (or Mas - see note above - or Chris - see film or not, if you prefer), on a flight to Milan, only to find out that he's not nearly as rich as she first thought...

Whilst there is more I could say about the plot, the risk of telling you what remains of the thin story line would spoil it if you do feel the urge to go out and see the film. But before you do, here's a couple of other reasons why you might not.

The on-screen chemistry between Sammi Cheng (who plays Mi) and Richie Ren (Mas) is seriously thin. I guess that partly is because they only appear together on screen for probably 30 mins of the film in total. If that wasn't enough, Richie Ren's un-mastery of the Cantonese language bugs you so much during the film. So much so that they have to make fun of it in the script. Whilst I was able to put up with it in Summer Holiday, Cheng and Ren's previous outing together, it was rather excruciating this time round.

Whilst I wouldn't say that this film is the worst that Sammi has made (Killing Me Tenderly and Needing You are far worse), it was a disappointment for me, as I generally do feel that most of her movies are good. Richie Ren, however, has a long way to go. Whilst Fly Me To Polaris was his highlight and launch pad into the movies, he really has to work hard on his on screen presence and maturity. In particular, I think he needs to learn to play a character and not himself.

As for the plot, well, it's the basic for a Rom Com, but when the actors don't build any chemistry in, frankly, you'd get more sparks at the bottom of a swimming pool. Not even the glamorous and beautiful locations of Milan and Lake Como in Italy could salvage this.

One to put on to annoy someone.

it's a simple love story meets reality tv. nothing in this movie will surprise you, but that's not the problem. the romantic genre is not one that appeals because of its unpredictability.

the major failing of this movie is that the chemistry between the two leads are lacking. Sammi Cheng is passable as the female lead but at no instance does Richie Ren not annoy me. the supporting cast is also very forgettable.

just like another Sammi Cheng movie, Summer Holiday, this movie doesn't work for me because the male lead is too annoying and the chemistry between the two just doesn't work.

I sat down in 2022 to watch the 2002 Hong Kong romantic comedy "Ga Goh Yau Chin Yan" (aka "Marry a Rich Man") for the second time. I remember having watched the movie back around the mid-2000s, but I just couldn't recall the storyline. So as I had the opportunity to sit down and watch it again, of course I did so.

Writers Po Chun Chan, Min-Hun Fung, Vincent Kok, Erica Li and Chi-Ho Wai put together an enjoyable enough storyline, albeit a somewhat generic and predictable storyline at that. But then again, these romantic comedies all seem to follow the same formula, don't they? So for better or worse, you know what you are sitting down to watch when you watch "Ga Goh Yau Chin Yan".

The acting performances in the movie are good, and lead actress Sammi Cheng (playing Mi) and lead actor Richie Jen (playing Christmas Yan) were nicely cast for the roles and had good on-screen chemistry.

For a movie that is already 20 years old, then I will say that "Ga Goh Yau Chin Yan" actually still is a watchable movie and as enjoyable today as it was back then. So thumbs up to director Vincent Kok for that accomplishment.

If you enjoy Asian romantic comedies, then "Ga Goh Yau Chin Yan" is certainly worth watching.

My rating of "Ga Goh Yau Chin Yan" lands on a five out of ten stars.