In general, Chow's modern films are more accessible to a Western audience than his period works. This is another good example, though my house-mates were left shaking their heads after coming in near the end. For this is very daft comedy - how else can you describe 'Shamy Candy', a lollipop that makes its consumer confess all their sins? Chow plays a trickster for rent, in this case hired by a jealous boyfriend to split up Lau and Kwan, through pretending to be Lau's idiot brother and wrecking things from within. Unlike Jim Carrey, Chow is happy to share the comic spotlight - Lau's attempts to fight off the effects of an aphrodisiac in a cinema are priceless, almost on a par with Chow's "interesting" negotiation techniques. And dramatically, look for Chingmy Yau splitting up with her boyfriend on the phone; for a Wong Jing film, it's surprisingly poignant. Naturally, Chow eventually realises he's in the wrong and switches sides, albeit with one final twist. This is very similar to Magnificent Scoundrels, also made in 1991, but is none the less satisfying for it.
B
