A Simple Life

Directed by Ann Hui, A Simple Life follows successful film producer Roger Leung (Andy Lau) as he attempts to put his busy life on hold after his family’s longtime maid (Deanie Yip’s Chung Chun To) falls ill – with complications ensuing as Chung stubbornly moves into a ramshackle old-people’s home. Filmmaker Hui has infused A Simple Life with a pervasively subdued feel that ideally complements Susan Chan and Yan-lam Lee’s spare screenplay, with the movie’s persistently watchable atmosphere heightened by the absolutely stellar work of its two leads. (Yip is certainly quite good here, although the film’s MVP is undoubtedly Lau – as the actor delivers an almost astonishingly charismatic performance that does, generally speaking, compensate for the sporadic lulls within the narrative.) And although the midsection admittedly possess a palpable spinning-its-wheels quality, Hui has effectively peppered the proceedings with a handful of standout sequences that are often more emotionally-wrenching than one might’ve anticipated (eg Roger’s college friends surprise Chung with an affectionate phone call). The movie’s severe overlength ultimately diminishes the impact of its inevitably downbeat finale, which does, in the end, cement A Simple Life‘s place as a compelling yet uneven piece of work.

**1/2 out of ****