Play With Strangers VCD

A large part of the joy of the movie is the weird unpredictable way it unfolds, so for those who want to be totally surprised, read no further. For the curious amongst you: one of Roy's poker parties goes awry after he says his good nights and Rain (Simon Loui), Snow (Lam Suet) and Romeo (Louis Yuen) find themselves on the floor, lives flowing out through multiple bullet wounds. Imagine Roy's surprise when the three deadies call him up the next night for another poker game. Turns out they can't go to heaven (portrayed as a police line-up crossed with an expensive downtown boutique) until they identify their murderer and, since they're ghosts and can't touch anything, they want Roy to help. He, logically, wants nothing to do with these losers and they try to haunt him. When that fails, they suck up.

Instead of spooky, these ghosts are big bores who prove to be totally inept at ghosting. Lam Suet is thrilled with his new role as a ghost, Louis Yuen is bored, and Simon Loui is anxious. Defeated mopes, when thieves break into Young's home they just sit and watch them strip it bare. When Young comes home they confess that they're upset to lose the tv. Now what're they going to do all day?

Meanwhile, Young's out making moves and getting answers to who killed the ghostly three, in the process falling in love with Carman (Ruby Wong) a woman who likes Teletubbies, Wong Jing films and borscht, although you'd never guess it to look at her. While the romance proves a little thick going, it's the unscripted fun of these five good actors set loose in the ramshackle and original structure of this concept that provides the fun. When the story is on hold and we have to cope with the much sinned-against Young's justifiable outrage, or Simon Loui's hangdog deadpan, or Ruby Wong's sheer screen charisma this is a charming fish story.

by Grady Hendrix