This is a really delightful musical drama. Co-produced by Johnnie To (who also directed) and Sylvia Chang (one of my favourite actresses), this film also stars well-known singer Eason Chan and Tang Wei (another of my favourite actresses). Superstar Chow Yun Fat makes a special appearance as the chairman of a big company, Jones & Sunn. The music and the many songs are written by veteran singer-songwriter Lo Ta-yu and lyricist Lin Xi. The script is adapted from a stage play that Chang co-wrote.
The film is also visually appealing : from both the exterior and inside of the majestic office building (called Jones & Sunn Tower) to the train station and its platform.
The office is a place of conflicting interests and complicated relationships. The main characters are the two interns (Lee Xiang and Kat Ho), the chairman (Chow), the CEO (Chang), the smooth-talking executive (Chan) and the dedicated worker (Tang). A large part of the story is told through music and songs, although there are also some clever lines that stick to my mind:
“People smoke when they are happy; people smoke when they are unhappy. Why?”
“Everything is the same everywhere – there’s adversity everywhere.”
“Some things I don’t know, some things I don’t want to know; if I want to know, won’t I know?”
“Mutual love means keeping promises which are mutual.”
And my favourite: “Carpe diem!”
I thoroughly enjoyed all the songs by all the actors (and there are so many I lost count), especially the solos of Eason Chan and Sylvia Chang and the duets between Chan and Tang Wei. What a treat! I imagine a stage production with the same cast would cost at least fifty times more than the price of a cinema ticket. What’s more, the accompanying musicians (notably the pianist, violinist, cellist, harpist and the entire orchestra) are featured in one scene!
I look forward to watching more good musical dramas at the cinema!