Gwong yat cham... Tin Hau (2003)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Joe Ma

Release Date:

13 March 2003 (Hong Kong)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy | Romance | Fantasy

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Jordan Chan	...	Harry
Charlene Choi	...	Ah Hey
Niki Chow	...	Shadow
Belinda Hamnett	...	Icy
Suet Lam	...	Kam Hing Cheung
Chapman To	...	Huffman
Wyman Wong
Courtney Wu	...	Record company boss
Shawn Yue	...	Wing

Also Known As:

Diva: Ah Hey (Hong Kong: English title)
Next Station... Tin Hau (International: English title)
Xia yi zhan... tian hou (Hong Kong: Mandarin title)

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Cantonese

Color:

Color

Certification:

Hong Kong:IIA

Filming Locations:

Hong Kong, China

Company:

Mei Ah Films Production Co. Ltd.

Soundtrack:

Driver

Sing your heart out, Charlene

The TWINS bandwagon goes on strong and this could only be a popular movie. Charlene Choi, one of the girls from the bubblegum pop duo, stars in this cutesy movie in which she stars as a girl, Ah Hey, from a poor family who sell fish and crabs at a Hong Kong harbourside. With the encouragement of her father (Suet Nam) and the desire to become a pop princess, she's offered a job with a manager, Harry (Jordan Chan). However, the job is to tend to the needs of a pop singer, Shadow (Nikki Chow), with the help of her chauffeur (Shawn Yu). As Shadow can't actually sing, Ah Hey steps in and becomes Shadow's singing voice. But can this secret last?

Charlene takes a different role here from her previous outings in Funeral March and Just One Look, more like that of My Wife is 18. In fact, this is more like the TWINS outfit than the previous two and it feels this was a natural role for her. Indeed, I think she did very well and given the diversity of her movies so far, I honestly believe that Charlene is a big talent in the making, and definitely a step up from the character she portrays in the film.

Whilst the spotlight is on Charlene in this film, there has to be a big mention for the rest of the cast. Jordan Chan demonstrates his usual brilliance, portraying beautifully the 'crumpled' character of Harry. Shawn Yu is also a rising talent in my opinion and demonstrates he has a good grasp of acting in his difficult role. Nikki Chow didn't make a huge impression on the screen, but I felt her character was quite sidelined.

Nonetheless, a big mention has to go for Joe Ma, writer and director of so many successful HK movies. How he comes up with continuous big hits is beyond me, but he certainly has it mastered. Whilst the story's ending was a little weak for me, for the most part this was a funny and enjoyable film. It certainly comes across that this film was a good laugh to make.

This is one of those films which is simply good fun to watch and not to be serious about. It's certainly a feel-good movie targeted at the TWINS' market of teenage girls. But just as TWINS' latest album Touch of Love, which features the soundtrack to the film, Tin Hau (in fact there are two versions, a solo by Charlene, and the duet with her other half, Gillian Chung), TWINS have matured in their music as their fans grow up. Hopefully, now they're past that, more grown up movies will follow for them.

As for Diva Ah Hey, one for Pop Idol romantics