Becoming very interested in exploring more Musicals from Shaw Brothers (SB) studio after the mesmerising Hong Kong Nocturne (1967), (which I've also reviewed) I was excited to find another from the same director, which mixed SB Musical with Caper antics.
Trying to find it for months,I hit nothing but dead ends. Giving up on finding the title, my 2019 kicked off with a surprise bang,when a poster on a movie board kindly revealed they had found the film (with Eng Subs), which led to me finally getting hold of the diamond.
Note:Some small spoilers in review.
The plot:
Wanting to get revenge after rival jewel thieves (who leave a symbol) have been one step ahead and stolen the items just before they were going to, Irene Chan and a friend set their sights on stealing the Venus Diamond. Learning in magazines that widow (and diamond owner) Lily Lam is going to stay in a luxury hotel, the duo get set to give Lam a special greeting. Arriving at the venue to put their plan into action, the duo soon discover that they are not only ones wanting to get a hand on Venus.
View on the film:
Folding the Caper into the Musical with ease, writer/director Umetsugu Inoue continues to build on the motifs of Hong Kong Nocturne (1967) with ultra-stylised sparkling colours which cleverly give the Musical numbers a shine, and the Caper antics a bubbly atmosphere. For the swooning songs, Inoue strikes the numbers with a laid-back vibe, slinging from the camera panning round Chan changing from having an eye on the prize, to being loved up. Sliding along to every underhanded pass made at the diamond, Inoue rubs the heist set-pieces with an delirious slickness spun from Inoue holding the camera on the ledge with each thief gripping the corner of the screen to make their move.
Placing Lily Lam/ the Venus Tear Diamond at the centre that all revolves around, the screenplay by Inoue lights up a solid backdrop for all of the high antics to be threaded on. Crossing Irene Chan and rival Kenneth Cheung as being rival master thieves and puppy-dog lovers, Inoue captures the sweetness of the Musical genre in the romance between the duo having a comedic playfulness which also dances towards the Caper elements. Keeping the heist action frantic as fake identities, missed chances and sleight of hands dealing criss-crossing over each other, Inoue wonderfully holds them all together, thanks to the clarity of them all being aimed at Lily Lam. Reuniting with Inoue after Nocturne,Yun Ling gives a devanare twist as Cheung, who Cheung has oozing the charm of a gentlemen thief. Shining like a diamond her costumes,Lily Ho gives a outstanding turn as Irene Chan,whose breezy smile Chan has barely hiding her eagerness to go up to Lily Lam, and wipe away the Venus diamond tear.
