Online Review: Enthralled 愛．尋．迷

Enthralled is a 2014 drama film written and directed by Chip Tso. The film stars Tien You Chui (Ka-lok), Christopher Goh (Adam), Kelvin Kwan (Shing), Candy Law (Linda) and Mandy Lieu (Julie).

As a drama film, Enthralled depends heavily on the plot, the emotional development of realistic characters and how the characters deal with the conflicts. 

Three pals, Ka-lok, Adam & Shing were separated when they were in primary school as there was a big wave of emigration in Hong Kong after June Fourth incident. 20 years later, they reunited in a bar as adults. 

Ka-lok, a college lecturer who’s desperately hoping to meet his long-lost father, and he’s in love with his student. Adam, a returned emigrant who’s working in an International banking institution, crazily falls for Julie, a wife of the chief executive candidate. Shing is the poorest among the three, with financial support from his ‘sugar mommy’ Linda, he opened a hair salon. And Shing soon screwed Linda’s son as well. As the story goes, Ka-lok committed suicide and Adam’s murdered by Julie’s husband, only Shing survived. 

Enthralled captures current issues in Hong Kong. For example, in terms of class division, Shing's story shows that Hong Kong is a playground for the rich only, the social mobility is very low and it’s impossible for employees to climb up the social ladder without salvation. As for moral dilemmas, Linda buys sex and Julie marries for power/ money, it represents that there is rare loyalty/ love between partners nowadays.

From another point of view, Enthralled is also stereotyping Hongkongers as immoral, materialistic, merciless, cunning and cruel people. No matter rich or poor, men or women, Hongkongers are just looking for hookups and money. No love, no trust in between.

Apart from the erotic scenes and the failed romance stories, the biggest selling point of ‘Enthralled’ is Chip Tsao (To Kit) since Tsao made his debut as a writer-director. Tsao is a renowned biting columnist/ writer /broadcaster who is famous for his sarcasm.
If you had read Tsao’s articles before, you can simply find his shadow everywhere in the film. The entire movie, from the first minute to the last minute, from the taxi driver to the bar tender, every single character is expressing dissatisfaction towards Hong Kong. For example, the taxi driver says that his English is better than high officials’ English. Also, the waiter says that foreigners appreciate Chinese tea (Red Robe) more than Hongkongers do, which is lampooning many Hongkongers have already forgotten their origins/ Chinese culture/ tradition. These lines, full of sarcasm, are so ‘To Kit’.

There is no denying the fact that Tsao is a talented writer, and yes, Tsao could be a good screenwriter, but he might not be a good filmmaker / movie director.

Interviewed by Jimmy Lai CheeYing, Tsao claimed that Enthralled would provide insights into social issues that are closely related to Hongkongers which could build up the collective framework. It’s too intense though. Squeezed with Chief Executive Election, property hegemony, press freedom, wealth inequality, sexual orientation discrimination, broken family, etc. ‘Enthralled’ touches on too many social and political issues that makes it challenging for audiences to ‘read’ it within 109mins.

As a newbie in the film industry, I think Tsao should have left the role of director to someone who is experienced and good at handling controversial films, such as Ann Hui.

Abundant social issues, inconsistent plot twists and questionable directing .It’s deep yet disappointing.

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Reference:

“I want to arouse the social conscience for sex and love.”. (2014, April 1). Retrieved from http://www.goethe.de/ins/cn/en/lp/kul/mag/dis/sex/12735002.htmlHKIFF: Enthralled By Chip

Tsao, Not His Film. (2014, March 30). Retrieved from http://www.movieswithbutter.com/blogs/hkiff-enthralled-chip-tsao-not-his-film-741506

KOZO. (2014, August 1). Enthralled. Retrieved from http://www.lovehkfilm.com/reviews_2/enthralled.html
 
愛‧尋‧迷－陶傑變陣拍片 幫港人向壓力宣戰
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qdKt6rJsKc

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Student Name: Chan Hoi Ying
Student ID: 10492239/ 21423816