HEROIC-CINEMA REVIEW:
The literal translation of the title of this flick is “Mouse falls
in love with Cat” and the opposing Andy vs pouty Cecilia poster
gave the impression in my gullible little mind that it would deliver
a romantic story struggling against the odds or conquering the
impossible… something along those lines. Perhaps some action
thrown in for good measure or something amusing for 1.5 hours? I
didn’t think I had very high expectations [sigh]
I haven’t heard much about the ins and outs
of this movie other than the press trumpeting the pairing of Cecilia
Cheung and Andy Lau. This didn’t exactly pique my interest for the
film because considering the ‘vast’ pool of HK leading lady
talents they perpetually choose from [namely: Sammi, Miriam and
Cecilia], it is hardly a surprising outcome.
So when the inimitable Anthony Wong [Beast
Cops, Stormriders, Just One Look] appeared I was rightly
thrilled.
[Incidentally, Wong has been nominated 3 times
in the Best Supporting Actor category in this year’s HK film
awards]
Set in the Song dynasty, Anthony Wong plays
famed judge Bao Ching Tin, in the emperor’s good books for his
famed ability to solve crimes and hand out a fair judgement.
Assisted impressively by his loyal right hand man Zhan Zhao [Andy
Lau] the infamous swordsman, they make a formidable and intimidating
duo.
However, you won’t see any of their crime
solving prowess here, no sirree!
Cat & Mouse kicks off with a humiliating scene
where Zhan is having trouble even drawing his sword from its
scabbard before the start of his working day. Said sword is sulking
and refuses to budge, Zhan cojoles, he demands and he begs.
All is not well in Judge Bao’s court
it seems - Bao and his team were so good at their work that
crime rate in the last 2 years is at an all time low, zero in fact!
The only time Zhao wields his trusty sword into action is to cut up
rhino skin for an old granny, an insult to his sword and to his
skills.
Utterly bored out of his brain, Zhan takes a
little R&R where luckily for him, he encounters a conspiracy to
kill Judge Bao and to bring down the emperor. Embroiled in the
shenanigans is the cross-dressing Bat Yu Tong and her clan of very
silly brothers who call themselves the Five Mice Clan, a band of
outlaws with Robin Hood altruism. Cecilia Cheung plays Bat Yu Tong
[with a bad upside-down moustache] who matches Zhan Zhao in wit,
talent and skill with the sword. Inevitably Bat Yu Tong falls in
love with Zhan [who does look rather dapper in his uniform] but is
obstructed by her renegade status and the Lady Yu Hwa, the
emperor’s niece who has been promised to Zhan.
Chinese New Year fare is often campy full of
crazy hijinks with an all-star cast or an action no-brainer. Cat
& Mouse is neither. This is commendable as I believe it did
set out to with all the best intentions to create a cheery New Year
movie. However my initial enthusiasm for Cat & Mouse
deflated not long into the film. This is even after the murder
conspiracy angle is thrown in, despite the appearance of Cheung Tat
Ming as emperor and 2 [count ‘em!] bathhouse scenes of Andy and
Anthony in funny white hats. I seriously cannot remember when the
penny dropped for me because truthfully, I have forgotten most of
the film already!
However I do remember being frustrated at the
lack of urgency that infected the whole film - every scene was happy
to just meander along without much purpose. Ultimately it failed to
push home any emotional buttons.
Every scene builds itself to make a point but pikes out in
the end, slowly driving me into state where my eyes glazed over.
I was informed by a HK native that Cat &
Mouse is supposedly a sly political critique of the current
HK-China relationship. I guess if you walk in with that thought in
mind, then you would walk away with a lot more, drawing parallels
for example; Judge Bao’s lack of power and utter servitude to
contemporary HK’s placidness under China rule? Not that I know
anything about politics but if you were that way inclined, then your
enjoyment rate may be higher.
And if politics isn’t your cup of tea but
celebrity wattage is you might be satisfied with Andy and Cecilia
pairing although I found them a tad bland, with strangely creepy
chemistry that is more sibling-like than heart-throbbing lovers.
Given the original material, it was
disappointing to see that Cat and Mouse failed to grab the
opportunity by the balls and give it a good wringing. Instead it
dissolved into this lavish, well-shot but pedestrian affair. Oh
well, better luck next time!
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