Movie Review: Lan Kwai Fong/喜愛夜蒲

I know this is really late. Sorry.

This film was the 2nd half of a Dynasty double header a couple weeks ago. The first film, which I already reviewed, was Wong Jing’s **Treasure Hunt/無價之寶 .**

So at least the second film didn’t have a lot to live up to.

And it didn’t.

I may be too old, white, and sober to really bond with this film as the intended audience can.

But I must say that having nothing in common with binge-drinking 20-somethings of any ethnicity really strikes me as a plus.

This film is the story of a bunch of beautiful (or not) young HKers who spend all their time in the trendiest Lan Kwai Fong nightclubs getting drunk and banging each other (or not).

So its not high art.

We meet a panoply of young people, some kind, some kind of annoying, and some who would make you choose a rabid ferret over them as a partner of anydescrīption.

One of them was so horrible that I can honestly say I rather be fellated by an Insinkeratorthan sleep with her.

As I slide inexorably into (through?) middle age, I find myself being less and less able to tolerate, much less empathize, with young, stupid people, and I find it hard to separate the two factors.

Young people are dumb. It’s because they haven’t lived long enough to learn these lessons the hard way. But they will. Until then, its at least fun to watch them f@#$ing up.

Like some recent films, I can at least applaud the honest and even crass way that y oung people are presented. No matter how vacuous, self-centered and pitiable they are, these characters are in fact much more real, likable, and commendable than the usual sanitized, asexual pop idols we are chronically bombarded with.

But that doesn’t mean Lan Kwai Fong is a good film. It just means that it has some redeeming characteristics.

It’s acted reasonably well, looks nice, and at least manages to entertain for the most part.

In part, it does so through either prurience or the rather more cerebrally titillating sensation of watching people so self-absorbed and stupid that you can’t help but experience a deep flush of superiority.

This film isn’t going to win any awards, but it does deserve a mention as an antidote to the creepy asexuality of HK’s more usual films.

It also deserves a definite Dynasty stamp of approval.

Just don’t ask what the ink is made from.