Echoes of the Rainbow

cover

Year of release: 2010

Genre: drama

Director: Alex Law

Action director: Wong Wai-Fai

Producers: Mabel Cheung, Candy Leung

Writer: Alex Law

Cinematography: Charlie Lam

Editing: Andy Chan, Kwong Chi-Leung

Music: Henry Lai

Stars: Simon Yam, Sandra Ng, Buzz Chung, Aarif Lee, Alfred Cheung, Joe Cheung, Ann Hui, Paul Chun Pui, Evelyn Choi, Vincent Kok, Clifton Ko, Lawrence Lau

Rated IIA for for mild language

This movie is available to purchase at www.sensasian.com

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Echoes of the Rainbow  Echoes of the Rainbow

Echoes of the Rainbow  Echoes of the Rainbow

If you're not Bill Hicks or Robert Schimmel, introducing cancer into conversation might as well give a sign to people to forcefully jab you in the taint with a pointy stick. And used as a filmic plot device, cancer is oftentimes as useful as the perpetual chestnut of widsom of having an asshole on your elbow. We have a case in point with Echoes of the Rainbow. For the first half, it's an enjoyable slice of life look at working-class 1960's Hong Kong. But once the big C is introduced, the movie falls off the rails and plunges into something you would expect from a Jennifer Love Hewitt and/or Tori Spelling "very special" Lifetime movie of the week.

Echoes of the Rainbow has gained some attention since it was the release that garnered Simon Yam his first Hong Kong Film Award, but the real star is Buzz Chung, who plays the Kevin character in this Hong Kong take on The Wonder Years. Besides having a bad-ass name, Buzz is actually a damn good actor. He was one of the only good points in the Aaron Kwok leaden loose stool of a movie that was Murderer, and like with that role, he manages to transcend the "whiny loud-mouthed brat" stereotypical performance of many child actors -- even though, ironically, he's actually playing a role that is not only whiny and loud-mouthed, but more than a bit pissy and annoying.

The other actors do a fine job as well, even though they, for the most part, are also themselves just playing within the confines of stereotypes. In particular, Sandra Ng is absolutely wonderful as Buzz's loving yet tough fast-talking mother. She always seems to have a talent for playing these kinds of "everywoman" types of roles -- which probably go very far as to explaining her popularity as a talk-radio host -- and she was well-deserving of her HKFA nomination.

But the positive and compelling momentum generated during Echoes of the Rainbow's first two acts is shot down quicker than Rob Schneider at a Mensa convention via the introduction of cancer. Once one of the characters gets a random nosebleed, we're off and running into the realm of cheesy melodrama. While things are handled well enough during the finale to the point that viewers other than myself who aren't totally jaded might have to bust out a Kleenex or two, the heavy-handed nature of the emotional exaggeration (which uses tired cliches like a slow-motion shot of flowers falling to the floor) comes off as hollow and unnecessary.

RATING: 6