Seelai ng yi cho

The opening film of the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival.

I really enjoyed this film, it is witty, touching and heart-warming. The film tells the story of a group of women living in a public housing estate in Hong Kong, all with various difficulties in their lives; being a young single parent, having a cheating husband, unemployment, a disrespectful husband and son etc. They find release from their worries through learning belly-dancing despite the disapproval of families and the community.

Although it doesn't sound like much from that description the simple story is wonderfully told with excellent performances all-round and an effective mix of humour and emotion. It shows ordinary life in a Hong Kong housing estate in a realistic way without being a dry social documentary, on the contrary it is an engaging and heartfelt drama. For me the camera-work is spot-on, giving visual interest without being unnecessarily flashy.

There is also an amusing cameo from producer Andy Lau as a restaurant owner.

Highly recommended, one of the best films of 2006 so far IMHO.