Golden Chickensss

Year produced: 2014

Foreword
This movie digs fun at characters from some movies – eg Rouge and The Grandmaster. It manages to recruit Hong Kong's biggest (male) stars to act opposite Ng Kwan Yu again. How is the effect? Kam has had to adapt different epochs of her life – to use whatsapp and technology to keep in touch with her clients. Now she is a mamasanto maximise her girls' earnings for a night. I won the premiere tickets to watch on 25Jan and met the cast in person before it was released on 30 Jan.

Story/Characters :

1. Ah Kam (Ng Kwan Yu) - the famous mamsan who is in charge of the prostitutes. She has to get different ones for different customers. She keeps up with the times. She also has to face the love of her life – will she rescue him like Wonderwoman? Laugh when she has to help to buy branded bags and also queue up for famous schools for her clients.

2. Ng Lou (Wong Wan Chi) - one of Kam's girls. All have thought that she is from China with her trademark bucks teeth and accent with loud clothes and huge chompers but she is a local. She only shows her true self to the 'duck king'.

3. Sleepy chicken (Ng Yuk Hei) – she often oversleeps and yearns for true love. One gigolo exclaims that her thighs are fat and she doesn't mind but is disgusted when he asks for extra payment. Meets a dentist in Japan who nearly pulls off her mouth.

4. Wong Chau Sang - a Tang dynasty client who demands for discount in her service – totally hilarious to see him reciting in ancient language and later the nicam button must be pressed to let all understand what he wants.

5. Yip Mun (Yan Chi Dan) – exciting exchange between him and Kam. He can hit ten at one shot not mix with 10 women at the same time. He bashes her up and cites that he is different from the grandmaster.

6. Sap Sum Siu (Wong Chi Wah)- burning real money to keep warm and telling Kam to change her profession before midnight.

7. Plastic surgeon (To Man Chap) – he normally looks for flat chest women. Not because he wants something natural but he is looking out for customers.

8. Chin Kar Lok – always with his wife but lies to her that Kam is his secretary when she calls him.

9. Uncle Pang (Lo Hoi Pang) – a rich man who looks for a impersonator Tin Lok to bed his dying mistress. He was so jealous that he bullied him on their first meet. (You have to see how he did it.)

10. Baby Suet Suet (Lo Mei Suet) - Uncle Pang's mistress who recites William Shakesphere's poetry when injecting morphine. Her dying wish is to bed Tin Lok but manages to seal a kiss with him before her death.

11. The Chinese physician (Cham Sui Mun) – he tells Kam that he prefers Japanese prostitutes and he encourages her to upgrade.

12. Impersonator Tin Lok (Koo Tin Lok) – he is from Kong Moon and dreams to be famous.(Have a good laugh as this hometown refers to anus.) Kam has to ditch his old wardrobe to look like the real Tin Lok. His off-key singing scares everyone. He regrets giving his kiss to Suet Suet and vows to practice singing Cheung Hok Yau's songs diligently. He later works as a singer at Kam's newly opened café.

13. Massager (Ng Kar Long) – he offers his service to Kam but steals her 2 Helmes handbags. Luckily, Jackie got it back for her.

14. Jackie (Chan Yik Sun) – Gordon's sidekick in the past who wants a stable life to work as a tour guide. He keeps Gordon's watch till his release and tries hard with Kam to make Gordon face the truth to open a café with Kam instead.

15. The duck (To Tak Wai) – like Kam, he has his men too. Kam sends her women to him to distress.

16. Cheung King Hin – a gigolo from India but he knows Chinese. Still, he is unable to please Kam to get beaten.

17. Wong Pak Ming – another gigolo who also fails so he has to kiss his colleague.

18. Tsang Kok Cheung – a gigolo who pleases the sleepy chicken but she

19. Cheung Chung Kei – top gigolo who is always forced to do things against his wishes. Kam forces him to drink a lot of beer and also wants him to hit his own head with a bottle till it breaks.

20. Gan Boon Pai Chi – same meaning as stupid (Chan Gun Hei) – he is the owner of a oral sex shop. All will sprawl on the floor when he appears topless in his underwear boxers.

21. Takuya (Wong Wai Mun) – the oral sex king who works for Gan Boon Pai Chi to show the prostitutes how to please their clients.

22. Yue Mun Lok – a university student in Japan who has strong body odour. Asking for company in the electrical tram.

23. Cheung Siu Fai – also Gordon's sidekick but he is only with him when he is rich.

24. Kong Mei Yee – she sells the branded bags to Kam.

25. Sit Hoi Kei – another mamasan who shares the girls with Kam. Kam is often at the losing end to beg her. She is getting married and sneers at Kam.

26. Gordon (Cheung Kar Fai) – he is released out of jail and dreams of taking his turf back through fights. Kam and Jackie have to tell him that times have changed. He likes to sing karaoke and Jackie only gets to sing a word for each line.

27. Professor Chan (Leung Kar Fai) – he is now a politician to take breaks and earn more money. He is startled that Kam is not earning much money in her café but is pleased that she still keeps her 'chicken' service to gain more profits.

28. So Wing Hong – as Gordon's friend, he patronises the café.

29. Chief Executive (Lau Tak Wah) – he portray as Kam's ex-lover, who is campaigning for his position and is under much stress. To relieve his pressure, Sandra gives him a foot massage.

30. Chen Yan Xi – so sorry but what role is she as? I don’t seem to see her in the movie.

Interesting facts

Kwan Yu came to Singapore to promote the movie with the director and Wan Chi. She explained <金雞sss> means many chickens. In the beginning part where Chung Kei and her hunting for food, both ate lots of turkey legs. Chung Kei showed off his pale and slender legs. Wai Mun added that he had to learn Japanese-accented Cantonese for his role. Kwan Yu laughed every time as she was sure many women were jealous of them.

As for herself, her exaggerated boobs were fake. She felt tired after wearing it for 2 hours and she had backaches. Her partner, Chan Hor San even asked her not to remove it at home as he felt she looked funny in it. Once she had it on her, she could not movie or talk as they might burst. Still, it was not as tiring as her being the producer. She thanked all her co-stars personally and arranged their shooting timings to fit their schedules. Once she was so tired that she sprawled on her home sofa to rest for 4 hours before sleep.

When she posted the boob photo on Tin Lok's weibo, he had a shock of his life. Yik Sun rushed to the film studio right after a bath after his Vancover concert, saw it and yelled that he also wanted a copy. In the end, she kept one in her phone and showed to all the actors when they started work. All blushed and she was very proud of that.

It was Wan Chi's big screen debut. Kwan Yu had asked her for King Hin’s number when seeing her at a hair salon and she invited Kwan Yu to her musical. Initially, Kwan Yu had thought of looking for a beautiful China actress but what if she can't act?

After watching the musical, she told the director about casting Wan Chi. The director had to change the beauty into a new Wu Lu. Kwan Yu then asked her to be in the movie. Wan Chi had already decided to take up the role – without knowing what was in store for her.

The more Wan Chi heard, the more afraid she became and did not say a word during her conversation. She had to persuade her alto singer parents to accept it. Kwan Yu was sure that they would be proud of Wan Chi. She was concerned if she could pull off the role. She looked for an acting coach and learned for a week. Kwan Yu and the director were worried when she suddenly went missing.

Kwan Yu was very impressed by her and planned to nominate her at awards ceremonies. She was that Wan Chi had the makings of a comedian. Wan Chi was humble and noted that it was a fulfilling experience for her. Having a chance to act in a comedy meant she could bring joy to the audience and it was meaningful.

Cheung Kar Fai joked that Kwan Yu had threatened to kiss all the actors to abuse her authority as the producer. Chi Dan looked very serious but all were taken aback when he acted. He had a great sense of humour. Even though he had finished shooting within a few hours after midnight, he also told others how funny this movie was when shooting other movies. Gun Hei was too handsome so Kwan Yu told him to add a wig to make sure that he looked ugly but he did not mind it.

She wiped all her friendship cards to get so many involved. They agreed readily except Hok Yau. Hok Yau declined to act as he thought he had reached his maximum ability by appearing in the last two segments. Mun Lok had regarded her as his idol all along and all burst into laughter when seeing how he hugs her from the back.

Tak Wah reprises his role as Hong Kong's Chief Executive the third time, a role that most Hong Kongers came to associate Tak Wah with. She praised him for being a great friend. He always asked her for her thoughts about his performance. There are no words great enough to express her gratitude for his appearance.

Most favourite character
Ip Mun and the Tang dynasty client, they are totally hilarious!

Most hated character
Gordon, he is definitely blind. Can't he see that Kam and Jackie want a quiet life to stay out of trouble now?

Conclusion

It makes references to pop culture (Ah Kam buying G-dragon tickets to resell them) and politics (strikes on the streets.) I enjoy the part of introducing prostitutes through history comical. Somehow, I find Gordon's story uninteresting and draggy. It weakens the plot and the focus becomes uneven. Like what Kam said in the movie, I wish to ask ‘why so serious’? The ending of the singing finale brings the movie to an abrupt end. It has a good start but I feel let down by the ending.

Still, I must say that the co-stars give a very satisfying performance. Chung Kei and Wan Chi who play the two escorts are brilliant. In fact, Wan Chi nearly stole the show from Kwan Yu. They can feel for each other when they discover they just act silly to earn a living. Thus, they only reveal their own secrets to each other and no one else. If not for Chung Kei singing '人若然忘记了爱', all might have forgotten that both are singers.

The focus is still on Kam. She is loud and struggles to live but her optimistic outlook towards life is a mirror of many hong kongers on how they work today.

Sukting's ratings :

On acting : ***1/2 (Scale of 5)
On story : *** (Scale of 5)