Let's Love Hong Kong (2002) User Reviews

2 stars (out of 4)

[mweston · 5/10 · 11 January 2003]

So far as I could tell, this film is a somewhat bizarre mood piece about three women who are apparently all lesbian sex workers in Hong Kong. One literally *lives* in a movie theater with many others, unless those scenes are supposed to be dreams. Another one seems to have a little more money and is looking at apartments to rent in marginal buildings, with a realtor who is pretty funny. And the third woman is reasonably wealthy.

Not much happens, and appropriately, given this sense of stasis, the camera hardly if ever moves. The only camera movement I recall is during some television clips that we see, which are mostly of giraffes. And speaking of television, this film looks like it was shot on video.

I'm just not sure what the point is.

Seen on 11/7/2002 at the 2002 Hawaii International Film Festival, where an earlier showing was the U.S. premiere.

Provocative

[crossbow0106 · 8/10 · 5 September 2008]

This is a film shot documentary style about three women in Hong Kong, a cyber stripper (Chan), a business woman (Nicole) and a street person (Zero)who all live there, but in different worlds. The thread is that they are all lesbians, and the film basically chronicles their lives. They don't speak to the camera, but its almost like they agreed to have a camera on while they went about their daily lives. Zero wants to get to know Chan, which is also a connection. I'm reminded of the similiarly shot Japanese film "Peep TV Show", in which you are somewhat a voyeur in these people's lives. This film has images that could be disturbing for some, as it has nudity & pornography, but it is not as gratuitous as you may imagine. Its a bit audacious, and looks like the work of a young film maker who was able to get just enough funding to shoot this. This kind of film making, to me, is interesting, as you rely on the story, not the effects. Towards the end, I can't say I loved these characters, but at least I understood their needs and desires. This is not for anyone who may be disturbed at these kind of things. It is clearly for people who once in a while look to independent film for their slice of the soft underbelly of urban life, this time in Hong Kong. I'd have to see what this film maker has otherwise done as judgment as to whether this is a new, exciting voice in cinema. For now, I've seen this and I appreciate it more than like it, since it dares to be provocative. Thats enough for me to watch it and, if you think you may like this kind of film, it is well made.