Movie Review: Hotel Deluxe/百星酒店

It took me forever to watch this Chinese New Year (henceforth CNY) movie, but at least I saw it.

Which I cannot say for I Love Hong Kong 2013.

Cope.

I caught Hotel Deluxe/百星酒店 last Wednesday at the Dynasty on the solo tip; CNY obligations, scheduling conflicts and work have kept me from participating in the Gang of Film of late.

So have a string of movies I’m simply not interested in.

I arrived at the Die Nasty at 2:20 for the 2:30 show.

I was the first person to buy a ticket.

Actually, I had a free pass thanks to a student of mine, so I saw Hotel Deluxe/百星酒店 ‘on the arm.’

But if I had paid for it I’d still feel I got my money’s worth.

Hotel Deluxe/百星酒店 is an ensemble piece, like any (and all) good CNY movies, so the screen time got spread around pretty liberally.

Teresa Mo Sun-Kwan plays the new manager of a hotel in China that is staffed by a group of oddball employees with all the quirks, foibles, and good-heartedness you would expect.

  恭喜發財!!!

You expect it because it’s the requisite contrast to Teresa’s fire-breathing character; yes, it’s the hard@ss boss vs. the lovable buffoons.

“I’m flanked by retards…”

There are damned few surprises here, but let’s face it; CNY movies are like an old sweatshirt you’re only supposed to wear for a week every year, and even though the sweatshirt has some stains (not to mention the picture of the puppy on the front), it’s so comfortable, reliable and warm that you can forgive its flaws.

In other words, even nasty old me gladly laps up the silly jokes, slapdash filmmaking and horrifically predictable happy endings (!) of CNY movies.

And in the case of Hotel Deluxe/百星酒店, the surprises and rewards are substantial (if only in CNY terms).

Lynn Xiong plays a rising pop star who is not the cheerful, open charmer she appears to be.

可愛的監獄紋身.

She is also the character who delivers a line which develops a scene that had me laughing out loud in shock and appreciation.

I couldn’t believe the film ‘went there’ or that the actress was as convincing as she was.

她投下了漂浮物!

Karena Ng plays the other pop star at the hotel, an ‘edgy’ singer (whose edges pose no threats to children’s fingers or kitten’s noses).

She also poses no threat to anyone in the running for any Best Actress award.

She doesn’t shine here, but at the very least she can say “Hey, it’s not Magic To Win.”

Me being me, I found myself enjoying a scene of bikini-clad women being filmed at the hotel not because of them, but the tomboyish, flaming-red haired PA who herded them.

Most of the rest of the cast managed to entertain me.

“Even me!?!?!?”

Yes, Chapman, even you.

And in at least two cases, actors surprisingly did not annoy me as they usually do.

The things you see when you haven’t got your shark.

I hope it’s tainted. No, really. I do.

And these days, that’s enough.

If I lower my standards any more they’ll be in danger of getting trampled by penguins.

The strongest performance of the movie (to me) surprised and impressed me.

Sandra Ng in Avatar 2.

In comedies, Sandra Ng usually chews scenery like a wood chipper goes through Danish flight attendants.

And she does plenty of that in Hotel Deluxe/百星酒店, don’t get me wrong.

But she also manages, in more than one instance, to be convincingly serious and even intimidating. She sold me on her character, and it was a pleasant surprise.

 Which is, when all is said and done,  the case for Hotel Deluxe/百星酒店 itself.