Review of Mr. Cinema (2007) by Vulcan S — 11 Jan 2010

Exercise in nostalgia, but with some actual chemistry between Wong Chau-Sang and Teresa Mo. Which is good, because there is nothing of the kind with Ron Cheng and Karen Mok. The visual metaphors are pretty blatant, with webs and swathes of rooftop antennas and cabling gradually overwhelming Wong's humble projectionist. Paper & toy planes, and airport fencing separates the younger couple, in an unsubtle manner.

There are some nice film clips and cameos, including actual Lefty activist John Shum playing a semi-satirical version of himself. The politics of the movie are about as safe as can be, with Wong's obsession with Tiananmen Square not paying off in any manner. And his character's early patriotic activism making him unpopular in old HK, but very safe in the context of a contemporary movie.

There is an interesting reversal of the old HK movie cliches of showing Mainland characters as fish-out-of-water in the big city. Mr. Cinema takes Ron Cheng's character to the Mainland for many failed business schmoozing attempts, and flipping the old cliche around does provide some smart amusement.

A lot of the dynamics come off more like a dated TVB family melodrama. But the senior couple do provide some genuine heart, and the film is clearly shot with a sincere affection for HK cinema history, and the urban environment itself.