An Acquired Taste
Error makes the leap from ViuTV to the big screen with an only-in-Hong-Kong real estate ghost comedy.
Yum INvestigATION
Director: Dickson Leung • Writers: Ling Wai-chun, Jolyon Cheung, based on the book by Triple Three
Starring: Leung Yip, Ho Kai-wa, Ng Po-ki, Kwok Ka-chun, Mandy Tam, Suey Kwok, Catherine Chau, Eric Kot, Law Wing-cheong, Tai Bo
Hong Kong • 1hr 50mins
Opens Hong Kong August 10 • IIB
Grade: C+
If you can make it past the fart, dick, poop, girl and gay panic “jokes” that litter the opening 20-odd minutes of first time director Dickson Leung Kwok-fai’s YUM Investigation | 陰目偵信 I suppose there are some modest pleasures to be found in anti-MIRROR Error’s first foray into feature films. This supernatural mystery-comedy doesn’t come close to the boy band-based adventures of something like Sabu’s 2003 Hard Luck Hero, still the high water mark for boy band vehicles, but in between its toilet humour outbursts there’s a tiny bit of downbeat allegory and a few legitimately funny gags.
Based on the web novel by Triple Three, and adapted for the screen by Ling Wai-chun (Hand Rolled Cigarette) and Jolyon Cheung Jin-yan, YUM Investigation rides that fine line between retrograde and offensive – usually falling on the wrong side, see: aforementioned dick and fart jokes, the hilarity that is sexual assault by the film’s only minority character – and making its low-key commentary without riling up anyone who can get the filmmakers thrown in jail. It’s actually not even that subtle when the main character’s a salaryman who laments the dead end he’s facing, and believes hopes, dreams and passions are in a city like Hong Kong are a fundamental waste of time. That’s text, not subtext. Balls this big.
They have their moments
Playing up on their irreverent personae, the four members of Error (brought to you by King Maker and much to Eric Tsang Chi-wai’s displeasure) play supernatural private dicks Stone (Leung Yip, otherwise known as Fatboy), who’s yin yang eyes allow him to see ghosts, ultra cool, deadpan Marlboro (Ng Po-ki AKA PoKi), who has some kind of force field powers, the sightly chickenshit, Patrick (193, or Dennis Kwok Ka-chun), who just wants to make a buck, and newcomer Taro (Ho Kai-wa, or Dee), the salaryman and owner of magic ghost-slaying sword, Katana Sama (voiced by Mark Cheng Ho-nam). They meet when the original trio is staking out a slutty ghost who gets the jump on them and Katana Sama drags Taro to the scene. Before you know it they’re on the case at Ping An House, a tong lau targeted by greedy developers (everyone’s favourite villain these days) who’ve summoned ghosts hoping to scare away the remaining residents. When residents’ rep Mr Ho (Tai Bo) turns up dead, Yuen (Mandy Tam Man-huen), Cloud (Suey Kwok Sze) and Cher (Catherine Chau Ka-yee) hire the gang and it’s off to solve the mystery the raise a giant middle finger to the developers.
Until now an AD on films like Infernal Affairs and Love in a Puff, and occasionally a producer (Lazy Hazy Crazy, Raging Fire), director Leung exploits the band for all their comic banter is worth – and admittedly they’re a fair bit of fun – and has some fun with the effects, such as they are. The shady buff narcissist German (Sammy Sum Chun-hin) has a great time with his minor himbo role, and you can never really go too wrong when you have Eric Kot Man-fai putting in a few minutes as the agency’s Q-type master shaman, Papier-mâché Chan. Not sure where Kwok was going with his Kojak act. But this is functional filmmaking rather than art; we’re here to “meet” Error and blow off some steam (the better your Cantonese the funnier it will be) so in that sense YUM Investigation gets the job done despite a saggy middle and all those seriously outdated jokes. Fans are going to dig it. Everyone else is going to scratch their heads and hit YouTube to find out what the fuss is about. — DEK