Ghost stories are incredibly versatile. For their subjects' distinct characteristics of being lost souls trapped in a limbo, troubled spirits, tormented entities with human traits like compassion or grudge, they can be applied to a wide range of metaphors and allegories; lingering memories, facing personal fears, regrets, guilt, regression, guardian angels and so on. And, of course, they can also just be played spooky or plainly funny. I love ghost stories and I love the heritage value in Hong Kong cinema they have now acquired, being and endangered (by Chinese censorship) species. A genre-fluid Milkyway product, directed by Jonnie To and frequent co-director Wai Ka-Fai, “My Left Eye Sees Ghosts” exploits the ghost movie tropes to tell a different story, with the aid of a strong cast.
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We are introduced to May Ho (Sammi Cheng) at her husband's funeral. May and Daniel met during a holiday in the Caribbean and it was love at first sight; in fact, after only 7 days, they were married. Unfortunately, no longer after the wedding Daniel died in a scuba diving accident. May is now alone in a stunning and empty villa on the Hong Kong coastline and she is reluctantly part of Daniel's wealthy family. Daniel's mum, sister and ex-girlfriend are initially hostile to May who is the daughter of a modest good-for-nothing (Lam Suet), and consider her only a gold-digger. May on her side, doesn't do much to change her negative image, she comfortably sits on her strike of luck and spends all her time watching television, drinking and smoking, like a spoiled brat. But after three years of this routine, one day she has an accident while driving drunk and has a so called near-death experience.
This brush with the underworld leaves her with the titular gift of seeing ghosts, but only through her left eye. She soon realises that one particular ghost seems to hung out around her all the time, almost as a guardian angel and … no, it's not her husband's ghost, but Ken (Lau Ching Wan), a former classmate who allegedly died at 13 in a drowning accident while performing one of his many stupid pranks. Ken was in love with May when at school and, although in a grown-up body, he still acts like an annoying 13-year-old boy. However, lonely May slowly gets used to Ken's presence and silly jokes and a fondness between the two starts to build up. Soon though, Ken will have to leave the temporary ghost status, cross the Twilight Junction and be reincarnated after losing memory of his past life. May is at a junction too, she must let go of the past and move on with her life, but the authentic and deep love for Daniel that she had hidden behind her spoiled child facade, is in the way.
The casting of rom-com queen Sammi Cheng and the obvious title both suggest very specific genres, however “My Left Eye Sees Ghosts” floats above them. It isn't a proper ghost/horror film, or a full-on romantic comedy and it isn't either just a wacky comedy, but it mixes elements of all the above. The script (from To's regulars Au Kin Yee, Yau Nai-Hoi and co-director Wai Ka-Fai) feels quite erratic; after setting the premises, it wonders in the central part of the movie, following what looks like a bunch of distinct sketchy episodes; Biggie the fat ghost and her frustrations and possessions, the exorcist priest called by May's father, the ghost of the mechanic's dead girlfriend, the cute puppies that Ken keeps collecting. Most of the sketches provide a silly comic relief but, in the end, almost all the threads come together cleverly to round up the plot and turn the whole film into something much less shallow than anticipated.
The consistency of Sammi Cheng's very physical, (almost) solo performance is what saves the film in its weaker parts. Her charm, her comedic vein, and her acting talent are well on show here and she triggers a complete metamorphosis in front of our very eyes. Her May starts being a very unsympathetic character, rightly unlikable, but slowly reveals her vulnerable side, her sorrow and the honesty of her feelings. The beauty is that she is the same May at the end of the movie – just a little bit more mature – but we'll have changed completely our perception and judgment of her.
We are used to see Cheng coupled with a strong lead; here she is leading the show. She is indeed supported by Lau Ching Wan who pulls another of his terrific performances, funny, touching and heart-warming, but he is still in a subordinate position. Despite the importance of Ken's character, May travels alone; however, their alchemy is tangible and their friendship and camaraderie is the warming element of “My Left Eye Sees Ghosts” and the film finishes with perfect tempo, giving nothing for granted.
The production design is excellent, some of the eye candies are the spectacular location and the panorama from May's villa, the vintage Mercedes and Miss Cheng's floaty voile dresses that are more than just a costume, but a key element of the strong identity of the character. Good to see also Simon Yam in a cameo as the sister in law's boyfriend, and Hong Kong Cinema legend Wong Tin Lam as Ken's father. The wacky camerawork in the more slapstick moments feels a bit dated, featuring cartoonish effects that now you can create even on Snapchat, but they are sparse and very forgivable.
With all its loony moments, its popular cast, its poignant subtext and highly satisfyingly script, “My Left Eye Sees Ghosts” is a good comedy with a big heart that winks to the classic Hong Kong 80s and 90s comedies.
