Sau san naam neui (2001)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Directors:

Johnnie To
Ka-Fai Wai

Writers:

Ka-Fai Wai (written by) &
Nai-Hoi Yau (written by)

Release Date:

21 June 2001 (Hong Kong)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Plot:

Sammi Cheng plays Mimi Mo, a young exchange student to Japan who met and fell in love with a budding pianist...

Plot Keywords:

Fat Suit

Awards:

1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Andy Lau	...	Fatso
Sammi Cheng	...	Mini Mo
Rikiya Kurokawa	...	Kurokawa
Asuka Higuchi	...	Kudo
Tian-lin Wang	...	Fatso's Friend (as Wong Tin Lam)
Suet Lam	...	Bun Man (as Lam Suet)
Chi Ping Cheung		(as Cheung Chi Ping)
Wai Leung Hung	...	Fatso's Friend (as Hung Wai Leung)
Mei Fan Wong		(as Wong Mei Fan)
Ming Nam Po		(as Po Ming Nam)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Keiji Sato

Also Known As:

Love on a Diet (International: English title)
Shôshen nan'nu (Japan)
Thin Body Man Woman (Hong Kong: English title) (literal title)

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

Hong Kong | Japan

Language:

Cantonese | Japanese | English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Malaysia:U | Hong Kong:IIA | South Korea:15 | Singapore:PG

Company:

China Star Entertainment

Quotes:

Fatso: This is the problem. How can she lose 200 pounds in six months?
Cocaine Ken: I know!
Fatso: Don't say drugs, Cocaine Ken.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in My Big Love (2008)

Soundtrack:

ZHONG SHEN MEI LI (Forever Beautiful)

Not slim in laughs

There are occasionally films that take an unoriginal idea, but make the most of it, ending up with a very good movie as a result. Love On A Diet is one of those.

Sammi Cheng stars as Mimi, a Hong Kong ex-pat who's living in Japan. She and her boyfriend part company 10 years earlier, during which Mimi puts on some 200 lbs in weight. When her boyfriend arrives back he doesn't recognise her to Mimi's dismay. Meanwhile a travelling salesman by the nickname of 'Fatso' is introduced to her, and helps her slim in order to fulfill a promise she and her then boyfriend made to meet at a location agreed 10 years earlier.

In an age of politically correctness and where the American Obese are suing burger chains, the film eeks the idea of insensitivity before anyone even gets to hear the plot. But get beyond prejudicing the film, and you'll find it is a well-written story that isn't really insensitive at all.

The overall plot admittedly isn't very original, but it's the originality of the scenes that makes the film wonderful. Andy Lau and Sammi Cheng thrive in their characters and really do put in performances to match. Indeed, it may be one of the best performances I've seen from the two.

The special effects are Hollywood, so you'd expect the almost flawless makeup and prosthetics on display. But quite simply everything in the movie adds up to a very fine film. And there are plenty of laughs in the script to enjoy.

Love On A Diet sees the reunion of the cast and crew behind Needing You. I didn't think Needing You was great (as my IMDB review shows), but fortunately I hadn't realised that it was the same combination of participants in this, otherwise I might have been prejudiced against this film. Fortunately I say, because I really do think that this film is on the verge of brilliance.

One to see, but mind eating too much popcorn.