3.5/5 stars
Eric Tsang Chi-wai may be best known today as the face of free-to-air Hong Kong television station TVB’s increasingly jaded vision of entertainment – courtesy of long-running, unashamedly lowbrow variety shows under the Super Trio banner – but once in a while he serves a reminder that he can be a highly charismatic actor if he puts his mind to it.
Serving as both producer and lead actor here, the veteran Hong Kong comedian’s latest film, We Are Family, sees him ride an emotional roller coaster that may win over a few among his legions of detractors.
The story begins as a farcical showbiz satire and gradually morphs into a poignant drama about an impromptu family, before eventually slowing down and becoming an out-and-out tear-jerker involving life-and-death situations.
The ageing acting enthusiast is soon recruited by Carlos (Carlos Chan Ka-lok), the young boss of a rent-a-family company. The briskly paced first act includes a variety of comedic episodes as Carlos, Chi-kwong and acting coach Catherine (Catherine Chau Ka-yee) take turns to satisfy clients who pay them to role-play as their substitute relatives.
One of Chi-kwong’s early assignments as a professional stand-in actor develops into a car chase, designed by action consultant Chin Ka-lok, a long-time accomplice of Tsang’s on the Super Trio shows.
The trio are then joined by Chi-kwong’s landlady, Fong (Tien Niu), in the wedding preparations of a bride-to-be who is enlisting their services – and it’s here that the lively screenplay by writer-director Benny Lau Wai-hang and his two co-writers switches gears to reveal the characters’ tragic backstories.
While the film’s descent into sentimental excess feels at odds with its funny opening, there is no denying the warm and fuzzy glow that the story imparts in spite of its abrupt changes in tones.
In its own engaging way, Lau’s take on the morally complicated scenarios instead stays heart-warming until the end.