Hong Kong Reviews Reviews

Film Review: I’m Livin’ It (2019) by Danny Wong Hing Fan

Is there a better tomorrow for those who survive the night?

This downhearted human drama from first time director was a standout at the 4th London East Asia Film Festival in November 2019 in which won the Best Actor Award. It was nominated for nine awards including Best Film and Best Actor at the 39th Hong Kong Film Awards. However, it only won the Best Supporting Actor award for who played Chatting Yeung. Aaron also sang the theme song “Grey Stardust” composed by Peter Kam.

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In Hong Kong, homeless people spend their nights at 24-hour fast food restaurants dotted around the city, they sleep on the hard chairs and disappear at daybreak before customers come in, but they return during the night. This movie is about how these penniless McRefugees as they're known, survive from day to day in a rather heartless big city and living under those circumstances. Obviously they're not quite like “I'm Lovin' It” as in one company's famous slogan but just barely living it.

After his release from jail for appropriation, ex-finance guru Bower Tung (Aaron Kwok) is too ashamed to go home to face his family. His poor mother still thinks that he's a hotshot working in America, but his sister knows that he has become homeless. While seeking shelter in a 24-hour burger joint, he makes friends with many “roommates” there who are in the same situation. However, he's like a godfather to them, he solves their problems, helps them in getting whatever jobs they can find but they always come back to the same place late at night where they plan for the next day's survival.

Aaron is convincing and shows enough depth as an unshaven homeless with bad hair and wears the same outfit throughout the movie, a far cry from his usual clean and smooth image. plays Jane To, a lounge singer whose job has no potential but she's a kind hearted soul. In her spare time, she helps out Bowen to care for the homeless. Although she takes a shine to him, their romance never takes root; however, they both share good chemistry on screen. Furthermore, they handle the emotional and touching moment just fine and carrying the lead roles with ease.

There is an astonishing collection of supporting characters and they help to advance the movie enormously. Playing the role of Chatting Yeung, a caricature artist who never gets a break is comedian Cheung Tat Ming, who gives a delightful performance. A single mother Leung Wai Yin, wonderfully portrayed by , is easily the most tragic character here; she has to work nonstop to pay for her mother-in-law's gambling debt. Interestingly, Nora Miao has a very brief role as her hopeless mother-in-law who blames her for her son's death.

Another tragic individual is Lo Chun Keung (), an elderly who hangs out in the restaurant each night thinking that his wife will visit him there. In fact she's already dead but he just refuses to accept it. A runaway teenager Sam Wong () is the latest to join these McRefugees, he's addicted to his phone and has no interest in finding work. However, Bowen makes him see the light and he later returns to his family.

Credits must go to Danny Wong for fingering on social issues while making his down and out characters so human. These are unfortunate people living in a very competitive environment, they're certainly not lazy or unwilling but they're memorable creations. There is no happy twist of faith to their stories but the ending, although bleak, is satisfying and not exaggerated.

About the author

David Chew

G'Day! Ni Hao? Hello! Many steamy hot tropical moons ago, I was bitten by the Shaw Brothers movie bug inside a cool cinema in Borneo while Wang Yu was slicing away on the screen. The same bug, living in my blood then, followed me to Sydney, Down Under years later, we both got through Customs & grew roots. Now I'm still happily living with this wonderful old bug and spreading my 'sickness' around to others whenever I can. Cheers!

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