Gam gai

I just got in from watching a surprise from the Chicago International Film Festival. This movie replaced another which had sold out so I wasn't planning on seeing it but it fit the slot. Delightfully so. I would venture that it's my favorite movie of the year.

Kum's life goes through absurd beginnings to humble endings and with it a rollercoaster journey. One minute you're laughing, the next you're on the verge of tears -- the latter quite a challenge. I would be surprised and disheartened if it doesn't get a nod this festival.

Sandra should have won HKFA award for this. Absolutely brilliant.

Sandra Ng probably should have won HKFA Best Actress award. Comedy is an under-appreciated art and Sandra Ng is a true artist, if under-appreciated. This movie shows the trials and tribulations of a Hong Kong woman through her career as a "fish ball" girl, club hostess, masseuse and prostitute while showing a unique view of HK history. I've watched this movie twice and I intend to watch it several more times. There is so much to catch--cameos, social history, irony, subtleties. It's a real treat!

this movie first got my attention when it drew rave reviews in HK early this year, but when I rent the DVD, I thought it was even better than what I expected, overall I think this is the most entertaining HK movie of the year. I like it better than "Wu Jian Dao" (Infernal Affairs) which was voted the best HK movie the same year. I just think Gam Gai is a more entertaining and more memorable movie. Not to mention the great performance by Sandra Ng. The story is touching and very funny at times, and although it's a bit predictable, the ending is still very good. I plan to buy the DVD after renting the DVD. Highly recommended. 9/10

Great fun to watch this, and because the subtitles have been done professionally, many of the puns and allusions do get through. One thing I particularly liked was how the many sub-stories did get resolved, and the ending was (in my view) just right for the tone of the film. One of the best HK films I've seen.