Dir: Chun Kim
Org Story: Kwan Shan-mei
Scr: Sima Choi-wah (a.k.a. Chun Kim)
Cinematographer: Chan Kon
Cast: Patrick Tse Yin, Patsy Kar Ling, Molly Wu Kar, Kong Suet
Shot in Singapore and Malaysia, Kong Ngee Company’s first film of their ‘Nanyang Trilogy’ is director Chun Kim’s genre-bending attempt to create a unique sensation. It is notable for its portrayal of Chinese diaspora and race relations. A Chinese-Malaysian’s romance with a Malayan girl faces opposition from his mother, who tricks him to go visit his aunt in Hong Kong. There, his two cousins fall in love with him yet they both drop dead by accident. The man concludes that the Malayan girl has cast a hex on him, thus he decides to go back for revenge. As a romance that involves two men and three women, the film borrows elements of exotic love and sisterly vengeance from Hollywood melodramas. Its intricate structure and pacing amuse viewers with traits of film noir, jungle adventure and thriller. Kong Ngee’s young stars—most notably the dashing Patrick Tse Yin—provide impressive performances. Chun showcases his craft and cinematic muse by incorporating the spirits’ world of Hong Kong and Malaysia’s garden of Eden, while crisscrossing gothic romance with fantastical sorcery in a conclusion for racial harmony.