Review: July Rhapsody

Marital tensions bubble to the surface in July Rhapsody

Last night VIFF had a showing of July Rhapsody, or in Chinese 男人四十 "man, 40", a 2002 film by Ann Hui so we checked it out, despite the pouring rain.

Armed with a bag of popcorn we settled in to watch the movie and not being much of a Hong Kong movie watcher, it was my first time seeing Jacky Cheung Hok-yau on the big screen and a young one at that! 

He's Lam Yiu-kwok, a high school teacher passionate about Chinese literature but his students think it's a boring subject. However, there's one female pupil, Woo Choi-lam, played by then newcomer Karena Lam who has potential and a crush on him.

Lam is married to Anita Mui Yim-fong's character, Chan Man-ching, who were high school sweethearts. It transpires that their Chinese literature teacher has returned from Taiwan, elderly and frail, and Chan wants to help him in his last days. It's a source of tension between Lam and Chan, revealing the truth about the origins of their eldest of two sons.

Compared to his friends in business and the stock market, Lam makes a lowly salary but keen to prove he can afford to pay his share of a fancy dinner. 

The film reveals the mundane life Lam and his family live, reflective of most middle-class families in Hong Kong, living in cramped flats, shopping for food in the supermarket, but making enough to put food on the table and hoping for their children to have a slightly better future.

Perhaps it's because of this situation that Lam is drawn to Woo, and Lam is fantastic as this character, a confident teenage girl who has no fear in flirting with her teacher; he tries to play it straight with her, but she lures him in with her cockiness.

There's a lot of insinuation in July Rhapsody -- when the eldest son realises who his father is, there isn't much of a reaction except for crying in his pillow. What's his say in all of this? How does he feel about being led on that Lam is his biological father? He's a flat character that could have been further developed.

Meanwhile, a lot of poetry is recited in the film, many related to the Three Gorges and talking about how it will soon be flooded and how they should go visit it before that ominous deadline. It also reveals how many Hongkongers haven't been to China before, and as a result have no relationship with the motherland, post 1997 handover. 

Mui looks sad in the film most of the time -- it was her last one before she died of cervical cancer in 2003. She also looks particularly skinny... did she know at the time she was sick?

It's an interesting juxtaposition between her character who feels compelled to look after her teacher and former lover, while Woo is keen to start a business and travel to India and Kashmir to find goods to sell in her store. Is it a generational thing? Or there are opportunities if you take risks?

Perhaps there are more questions after watching July Rhapsody!

July Rhapsody

2002

Directed by Ann Hui

Jacky Cheung Hok-yau

Anita Mui Yim-fong

Karena Lam

Double Standards

Cheung sang in the 25th anniversary song released before July1

Cantopop superstar Jacky Cheung Hok-yau got into hot water with mainland fans the other day when he said, "香港加油 Hong Kong add oil!"

He also failed to mention the "motherland" in his congratulatory message marking the 25th anniversary of the Hong Kong handover that was broadcast on CCTV.

Cheung said:

Hong Kong has experienced a lot of ups and downs over these past 25 years. However, because I grew up together with this city, and I was born and grew up here, I still believe in this city, and I still hope that it will become a better one than before. Hong Kong add oil.

"Hong Kong add oil" was a rallying cry in 2019

One has to keep in mind that the singer and actor is very careful with his words when it comes to anything related to politics. 

But Chinese people online immediately pounced on Cheung for being "unpatriotic", and after more angry than positive comments were posted, his video message was taken down.

They apparently believed that the "ups and downs" he was referring to were related to the 2019 protests, and one of the slogans the protesters used at the time was "Hongkongers add oil!"

On Sunday Cheung issued a statement to address the video clip that was taken down.

He said he is a patriot and always tried to separate politics from art. Cheung said it was precisely because he had such a deep relationship with Hong Kong that he has witnessed the most "golden and glorious moments in Hong Kong".

However, Cheung pointed out that Hong Kong is undergoing an "unsatisfactory" phase over the past few years with violence, followed by the pandemic, depressing all industries and causing panic among the people.

Cheung's rebuttal on Sunday

"Now is the time for Hong Kong to add oil," he said.

Then Cheung pointed out the phrases, "Beijing add oil", "Wuhan add oil", and "Shanghai add oil" are frequently used. He questioned why "Hong Kong add oil" or the colours yellow and black determine how patriotic someone is. 

He expressed hope that "we Chinese people are rational and will convince people with reason", and added: "Whether I love the country and Hong Kong or not, the community will make a judgment."

Cheung also addressed his haters, thanking the public for their supervision of his words and deeds, and described himself as an "ant citizen". 

"I will continue to work hard to be a good person and a good singer under everyone's supervision as a Chinese."

Hopefully that's the last of what Cheung will have to address, but it was good of him to bring the issue out into the open. Why is it that other places can use "add oil", but not Hong Kong?

Will he be boycotted? So far no reaction yet.

Everything's a political minefield when dealing with China. It seems one can never be patriotic enough...