Poster for the first film I saw in a cinema in 2021
The Way We Keep Dancing (Hong Kong, 2020)
- Starring: Cherry Ngan, Heyo Fok, Babyjohn Choi, Lokman Yeung, Lydia Lau
Back in 2013, director-scriptwriter Adam Wong scored the biggest hit of his career to date with The Way We Dance, a dance-infused coming-of-age romantic drama that also made stars out of leads Cherry Ngan and Babyjohn Choi. Now this trio have reunited with some other cast and crew members from that film for another hip hop-heavy offering whose English title clearly alludes to the earlier movie (and whose Chinese title (狂舞派3) makes the connection even more explicit).
A sign of the whimsy that pervades this project though is that, while there was indeed a 狂舞派 (i.e., The Way We Dance), there actually never was a 狂舞派2. But because Adam Wong believes that sequels tend to disappoint, he decided to just go straight from 1 to 3 with regards to the films' titles! By a similar token, even while The Way We Keep Dancing makes use of the conceit that certain of the movie's characters had actually starred in The Way We Dance, this film -- which seeks to address real world issues rather than just regular movie ones -- is actually a fictional feature rather than a documentary.
Should all this sound too confusing or complicated, just know this: Cherry Ngan's character in The Way We Keep Dancing is named Hana (not Cherry Ngan or, for that matter, Fleur -- the name of the character she played in The Way We Dance). An up-and-coming artiste in the Hong Kong entertainment world, she looks to have a brighter future than her friends (including boyfriend Dave (Lokman Yeung) and Milk Tea (Lydia Lau)) but envies their being better dancers in real life than her. And although her agent reckons she ought to separate herself from her "gang", Hana tries to help them out professionally by getting them involved with the projects she gets hired to front: be it a commercial for a consumer product or what amounts to putting the gloss in the gentrification of their home area -- called the Kowloon Industrial District in the film (but recognizably real life Kwun Tong).
Fairly naive and soft-hearted, Hana lacks the out-and-out business focus and drive of Leung (Babyjohn Choi), a well-known Youtuber who some of his peers are inclined to look upon as being insincere to his friends as well as his art, even while also lacking the artistic edge and idealism of rapper Heyo (played by his namesake, Heyo Fok). And, at one level, The Way We Keep Dancing centers on the push-pull that she feels -- and the audience through her -- between the imperative to make money, and be true to oneself and one's art.
If truth be told, there's really not much doubt as to which side Hana and her friends will end up; and this even without factoring in the peer pressure and communal hostility that ensues after it is realized that the "Dance Street" promotion that Hana and Co. got involved in was being used to mask the destruction of their neighborhood by developers that Hong Kongers will see much resemblance to real-life villains such as the quasi-government Urban Renewal Authority. Consequently, the film's soul-searching scenes lack a genuine sense of tension and certain of these sections of the movie can feel overly lengthy as well as indulgent.
At the same time though, it's clear enough that Adam Wong has a lot that he wants to say and make a stand about. And Heyo's rap numbers actually are worth listening to -- not only for the hypnotic rhythms and sounds but also the sincere substantive content; with the climactic rap number being particularly powerful and emotionally cathartic. (On a film note: he may not have top billing but Heyo Fok is the (break-out) star of this show.)
At a time when Hong Kongers feel so much pressure to "face reality" and give up on many of their beliefs and goals, it is admirable to see a Hong Kong film that trumpets people's determination to hold on to their ideals and principles. Something else that I appreciate is how much love for the local community flows through The Way We Keep Dancing. Those who don't know Hong Kong may not believe that a movie centering around a community of hip hop artistes can be very Hong Kong. But those who do will know this is so when taking in this film that also would be well named if it was entitled "The Way We Want to Keep Being".
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