Films come in all forms these days: From high budget blockbusters, to avant-garde independent fare, to basement budget fodder for YouTube. As trends come and go however, it becomes clear that some films regardless of their genre simply have nothing new to offer. Such is the case for the latest Wong Jing production Beauty and the Seven Beasts (七擒七縱七色狼). While attempting to cash in on a bit of postmodern mania by setting the film firmly in Hong Kong’s past to draw on collective memories of a time when local media mattered more (something which the local film Fantasia did with some success back in 2004), the film makes the mistake of trying to rerun too many of the same old formulas that have been used repeatedly over the years. While some repetition or standardization is to be expected in any form of popular culture, there needs to be a fresh element as well.
Performances leave much to be desired as well. Eric Tsang, who can really shine when given a decent role, seems to be simply ‘phoning it in’ here. His role as an aging actor who has lost his public appeal is neither interesting nor funny. While the characterizations in Fantasia may not have been highly inspired they were at least enjoyable to watch. The same holds true with Nat Chan, whose one time Lolanto character was once an enjoyable Wong Jing staple, but who now seems grossly out of place in a role that should be picked up by a younger generation. Jo Koo gives the most likeable performance of the film, but she herself does not have a big enough role to have a real impact.
The biggest fish out of water however, seems to be newcomer Meng Yao. Taking up the lead role she simply looks out of place among the bevy of Hong Kong bikini-clad starlets that match off with the rest of the cast. Aside from the rather poor Cantonese dubbing job to cover her spoken mandarin, there is the stark physical contrast between the actress and the supporting female cast. One can chalk this up to Hong Kong’s ravenous appetite for ‘slimming’ in contrast with the mainland’s taste for stars with a bit more plump to them. While she was likely selected to qualify the film for more mainland cinema screen time, there is little else that the film will offer to satisfy northern cinematic tastes.
The main problem here is that of redundant actors and recurring gags. The formula is old, the actors are old, and in some ways the film seems to be reflective of the problems of the industry as a whole; stagnation. To argue the point of Mass Culture Theory that mass culture forms offer nothing in the way of artistic value, one would certainly find that this film seems to strongly support such an argument. However, such was not always the case. At one time the grouping of Wong Jing, Eric Tsang, and Nat Chan was a winning combination (e.g. The Romancing Star 精裝追女仔), the girls seemed more likeable and the gags more fresh. But to try and say that this film meets any of those listed criterion, would be a tremendous stretch. And that is perhaps the biggest disappointment, as I really do miss the films from the early heyday of Cantonese cinema.
Paul F.
