Say I Do To Me is not the kind of work one expects from the director of Revolution of Our Times! (Film review)

  

Probably not the kind of film you'd expect to see

directed by Kiwi Chow (and co-produced 

by Chapman To) -- but it is so!

 

Say I Do To Me (Hong Kong, 2023)

- Kiwi Chow, director and co-scriptwriter (along with Frankie Chung and Isis To)

- Starring: Sabrina Ng Ping, Kelvin Chan Kin-long, Jacky Tong, Candy Lo, Mixson Wong

 

There are no two ways about it: this is a film I wish that I liked more than I do.  With Kiwi Chow at its helm, Chapman To among its producers and Gregory Wong in its cast, Say I Do To Me can't help but be considered super yellow (i.e., pro-democracy) based on its pedigree, and thus would be a movie that those who support the Yellow Economic Circle would feel they should go and watch.  And there's the added impetus that comes from wanting to view a Kiwi Chow film playing in Hong Kong cinemas because the feeling is that this is a rare treat; this not least since the chances of Revolution of Our Times, his protest documentary, ever being allowed to be screened in Hong Kong currently is very slim and ditto for Ten Years (the dystopian anthology which he directed a segment of) getting theatrical screenings again.

 

For those wondering how Say I Do To Me managed to be allowed to be screened in Hong Kong: suffice to say that this Chinese New Year offering is a very different beast from Chow's political works -- and I challenge you to find any overtly, or even covert, political content or messages in this fanciful film!  And while this movie focuses on romantic relationships like his Beyond the Dream (which was made in betweeen Ten Years and Revolution of Our Times), it's generally far lighter in mood than that 2019 romantic drama about the forbidden love between a man being treated for Psychosis and his psychological counselor.

Say I Do To Me's protagonist is a spirited young female Youtuber who declares to her audience that "I want to marry myself!".  Ping (who's played by real-life Youtuber, Sabrina Ng Ping) is the daughter of a woman (essayed by Isabel Chan) who's been married six times and likes to pretend that they are sisters rather than mother and daughter.  Declaring that "Marriage is a sham!", Ping decides to use that particular institution to get her channel 1 million subscribers by effectively turning it on its head -- and even making a mockery of it.  

In the process, Ping also involves herself in a big lie -- because, as is revealed early on in the movie, she's actually in a relationship with Dickson (portrayed by actor-filmmaker Kelvin Chan King-long), her professional partner as well as live-in lover!  Prior to Ping's "sologamy" declaration, the couple -- whose over-the-top cutesy ways some might find endearing, and others grating -- were co-stars on another Youtube channel.  But their clown-themed enterprise never attracted many fans; though it did gain Ping an ardent one in the super Christian Daniel (played by Jacky Tong), whose adoration of her rivals his devotion to Jesus Christ.

 

Ironically, even as Ping carries out this big charade, she inspires people (like the flawed but likeable characters essayed by Candy Lo and Mixson Wong) to be true to themselves.  And to love themselves too.  Which all sounds really positive and good -- except that, well, these folks' idol had effectively fooled them in her quest for clicks, subscribers and cash, and didn't actually practice what she so successfully preached!  

 

Something else that is troubling in the grand scheme of things: three of Ping's fans fall badly in love with her.  Throw in the fact that Dickson, who has taken up the role of "demon" to Ping's "angel" to rack up some drama, ends up losing control of his followers, and I think you can see how Say I Do To Me sets itself up to be an overly-complicated affair and, as it turns out, a messy plus farcical one too!

There are some filmmakers who do very well producing lighter fare who don't do so well when making serious works.  (I think of Steven Spielberg, whose openly commercial offerings tend to be more interesting than his "high brow" efforts.)  Kiwi Chow appears to be the opposite.  Which is sad because, among other things, the ability to make one's audience laugh a lot is something that should be prized.  For another, producing light entertainment would be the politically safer thing for him to do in current circumstances; this particularly since, unlike Chapman To (and a few -- the majority even -- of his Ten Years co-directors), he appears intent on remaining in Hong Kong for some time to come.  

My rating for this film: 6.0