Fighting For Love (2001)

Director: Joe Ma Wai-Ho

Producer: Carl Chang

Cast: Sammi Cheng Sau-Man, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Chow Lai Kei, Joe Lee (Yiu Ming), Ha Ping, Lee Fung, Sammy, Chan Maan Lui

Running Time: 102 min.

Plot: A traffic accident brings together Deborah, a high-strung businesswoman, and Veg, successful owner of a fast food shop that specializes in bull organ soup. Fiercely combative about the accident, they end up in bed after too much drinking one night. Deborah's thoughts of pursuing a relationship with Veg are dashed when she learns that he has a famous girlfriend, Mindy (she is television's "Eat Drink Warrior"). Nonetheless, Deborah and Veg become friends, and, after prompting from Veg's mother, Deborah decides to "fight for her love." Who will Veg choose?

Availability: This title is available at HKflix.com

ALEXANDER'S REVIEW: I'd prefer to think that Fighting For Love (FFL) was one of those early career mistakes that would be instantly forgotten in theaters but re-appear years later on one of those "Before They Were Stars" specials on VH1. ("Before They Were Stars: Hong Kong Edition" or something.) Unfortunately, FFL was released in 2001, well after both Sammi Cheng and Tony Leung established themselves as two of Hong Kong's premier performers. So one has to wonder what the fuck were they thinking when they signed on for this crap.

CHA-CHING!

Actually, FFL is not much different than most of the other rom-com fluff Sammi Cheng spent most of the '90s starring in, like Summer Holiday, Feel 100%, Feel 100%...Once More, and Love on a Diet. Not all of her work is shit, however. Needing You is hilarious and remains my favorite Hong Kong romantic comedy, and the poorly titled Marry a Rich Man is an overlooked romantic gem. But Sammi is as Sammi does and there's not a whole lot of variety to her performances. Her success as a performer then is usually dependent on the quality of the material. For example, her excellence in Needing You is really a product of Johnnie To's slick and funny production. But in FFL? Sammi is a whiny little bitch and she absolutely deserves it when her boss screams "You're an asshole!" in her face...and fires her. Not her best work, obviously, but that has less to do with her abilities as an actress (an alarmingly skinny actress, I noticed), than the quality of the material she's working with. And the material? It SUCKS.

CHA-CHING!

But Tony Leung's decision to star in this is a bit more perplexing. Here's a guy who was featured just a year earlier in Wong Kar Wai's masterful In the Mood For Love. Here's a guy who would soon win international acclaim for his role in Infernal Affairs. And JUST when I think I've figured it all out (CHA-CHING!), JUST when I think Leung has achieved Tom Hanks-like reverance by his performance in Kar Wai's 2046, he goes and stars in Seoul Raiders. SEOUL RAIDERS. I almost suggested that that's akin to Hanks starring in Turner and Hooch 2, but then I realized that while Leung has been cast some of Asia's greatest films (Hero, for one), he really hasn't amassed a consistantly impressive filmmography (the Zoolander rip-off, Super Model, anyone?).

CHA-CHING!

But how is Leung in FFL? He's a whiny-ass bitch as well. He's a womanizer, he's prone to crying, and at one point attempts to pull off the pale pink tight t-shirt look. Ain't happening, baby.

There's so little chemistry between Cheng and Leung that when they wake up next to each other after a night of drinking and sex...ah, fuck it. Why am I writing so much about this movie? All you really need to know? It sucks skinny actress ass.

ALEXANDER'S RATING: 3.5/10 (CHA-CHING!)