Pang Ho-cheung, novelist, playwright, actor, and of course, director, has managed to carve a name for himself despite the growing hardships within the Hong Kong film industry. His style of comedy has allowed him to be a successful box office draw, his “love” series (started in 2010 with “Love in the Puff”) has been a crowd favourite, while films like “Vulgaria” have subtly critiqued the industry with outrageous satire and social commentary. “Women Who Flirt” sees Pang return to the world of rom-com, but can he capture the same magic as his much adored “Love” series?
Women Who Flirt screened at Asian Pop-Up Cinema
Angie (Zhou Xun) and Marco (Xiaoming Huang) have been best friends since university. The typical ‘friend-zone' narrative gets flipped upside down here as it turns out the female character inhabits the legendary male space for once. She realises her attraction once Marco finds a partner, and she soon begins a journey of discovery as she tries to seduce the long-term friend. It allows for typical comedic set-ups and standard melodramatic payoffs, but all handled in the atypical Pang style.
Upon its release in 2014, it did extremely well, and it is easy to see why; the movie is one of the director's most accessible pieces. It has that polished Hong Kong cinematography, which is accomplished by Jake Pollock, it has the expected narrative beats, likeable characters, and safe humour, which ultimately makes it feel too plain. The beauty of Pang is his ability to ride the mainstream whilst having a subtle edginess. Films like “Vulgaria” challenged the norm with its raunchy comedy and profane Cantonese slang (a bold move as it isolates your film to the Hong Kong market and dampens chances of transferring to the mainland), “Dream Home” critiqued the housing crisis, the “Love” series took the rom-com into the confined alleyways of smoking brakes, while “Women Who Flirt” just plays it safe. Cinema does not have to be provocative or edgy to be good, but this filmmaker has created an expectation that just does not feel present here and it is disappointing.
Overall, “Women Who Flirt” is not a bad film, far from it, but it is not Pang doing what he does best. It is a standard rom-com with just enough character and charm to keep you entertained throughout, but without any of the director's quirks to let you know its him. The film feels a product of the current situation in Hong Kong, proof that it is easier to join the mainland market than contest it.
