I had the chance to catch the film during this year's Reel Asian Film Festival in Toronto. If the film were a ride, I'd say I enjoyed the whole ride throughout. Imagine my surprise (and that of the audience) then when, during the Q & A session, I learned this was the director's very first movie. Before this, he hasn't even produced a short.
The director did an impressive job pulling the resources together. The contrasts among the actors and the locations (scenic BC and grungy Hong Kong) created an enjoyable experience for the senses. For example, it was hard to imagine the characters played by Sean Lau and Bif Naked would work well together but they did, and with good chemistry. Overall, it was a simple story well-delivered to create a heart-warming film.
Among the things worth mentioning, Sean Lau is actually quite a well-known and seasoned actor in Hong Kong. He plays convincingly the wannabe rock star from Hong Kong who is sterotypically lacking in his English skills. Bif Naked is a singer who presumably never acted before and yet she was a natural when playing her colourful character.
The following are some other interesting trivia I learned from the Q & A I attended. For the readers' safety, there are no spoilers until the very end where I mark <<SPOILERS>>.
<<SPOILERS>>
The director did an impressive job pulling the resources together. The contrasts among the actors and the locations (scenic BC and grungy Hong Kong) created an enjoyable experience for the senses. For example, it was hard to imagine the characters played by Sean Lau and Bif Naked would work well together but they did, and with good chemistry. Overall, it was a simple story well-delivered to create a heart-warming film.
Among the things worth mentioning, Sean Lau is actually quite a well-known and seasoned actor in Hong Kong. He plays convincingly the wannabe rock star from Hong Kong who is sterotypically lacking in his English skills. Bif Naked is a singer who presumably never acted before and yet she was a natural when playing her colourful character.
The following are some other interesting trivia I learned from the Q & A I attended. For the readers' safety, there are no spoilers until the very end where I mark <<SPOILERS>>.
- There was a lot of humour throughout the film. However, during the film's various screenings in China, Hong Kong, Vancouver and the States, it was noted the audience from the different geographical locations reacted differently. For example, there was some humour that only those from a Chinese background found funny. In addition, I was told the audience from Shanghai also reacted differently to certain scenes than the audiences in Hong Kong.
- Nicholas Lea (from the X-Files?) was credited as the executive producer because he asked for it, in lieu of better pay that he should be receiving for being a well-known actor.
- Due to budget and time constraints, the main cast never rehearsed together until the actual filming.
<<SPOILERS>>
- Of the two obvious possible endings, the one that was used was not the one I expected. Interestingly, I learned also from the Q & A the film staff noticed it turns out that, most of the the "Western" audience expected Tong and April to be separated together in the end because of their differences. OTOH an Asian audience actually expected them to be reunited. After all, they spent the whole film looking for each other!
- In case it was not obvious, in the end, Natasha was on a plane, supposedly heading for Gloucester in search of her fairies. It was not very obvious, and the producer admitted it could have been done better there.