A Simple Life (LFF)

May 2012
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Ann Hui guides superb performances from leads Andy Lau and Deanie Ip – with a veritable Who’s Who of Hong Kong filmmaking to boot!…

Based on some of the true life experiences of co-writer and producer Roger Lee, A Simple Life charts an intense relationship between a middle-aged man and the elderly woman who has served his family through four generations and some 60 years. With Roger’s (Andy Lau, The Warlords, Infernal Affairs, Detective Dee and the Mystery of Phantom Flame) family relocated to the US, Ah Tao (Deanie Ip, My Name Ain’t Suzie, Pom Pom, Dragons Forever) is more than just a maid to him, but a cook and doted confidante. Coming home to find she’s had a stroke, he rushes her to hospital where she announces that she wishes to retire. Having dedicated her life to running the families household, Ah Tao has no children to rely upon, but Roger dutifully finds a decent retirement home for her to live in (run by a shady ex-film producer in a bizarre appearance by Anthony Wong).

As Ah Tao comes to grips with her new surroundings and all its quirks, the relationship between them becomes much closer. Roger realises his feelings for her run much deeper than just as a domestic helper: she is as much a part of their family as any of his relatives. As she becomes frailer, the carer becomes cared for, and Roger finds new depth to his life out of looking after her.

Once again director Ann Hui proves she has a deep understanding people and familial relationships. There are many levels here, as the film maturely ideas about the aging process, caring for our elders and the dynamics of class relations, without the need for heavy handed or cloying sentiment. Intrinsically that means it’s a film that’s very much about Hong Kong itself and the culture there, not China, and highlights a growing divide between filmmakers who are moving towards films created for the larger mainland China audience, and those who prefer to stick to the stories that are relevant to them.

A veteran of Hong Kong cinema, her career began in the late 70s with others like Tsui Hark and Patrick Tam as part of what would become known as the New Wave of Hong Kong directors. Unlike many of her peers, her films have always maintained much more of a human level. She’s largely avoided action and wuxia to concentrate on human relationships, and her skill at bringing these convincingly to life doesn’t cease to amaze me. Her films are full of moments we recognise from our own life, even if the situations are unfamiliar.

One of her earliest films, Boat People, put both herself and her young star Andy Lau on the map. Lau produced this film, and with Roger Lee’s involvement this can essentially be seen as a personal project for those involved, and undoubtedly a vehicle for Deanie Ip. Perhaps that accounts for the (frankly) jaw dropping amount of cameos from Hong Kong filmmaking. Raymond Chow, Stanley Kwan and Ning Hao are just a few of the names making an appearance.

The real gem is Tsui Hark and Sammo Hung (possibly on a break from Detective Dee) appearing as themselves (well, sort of) as Tsui pretends to be a ‘typically bolshie’ director just to extend the budget of a film while Hung and Roger (Lau) pretend to be reasonable. And there’s some great references: at one point Lau’s character admits he’s working on another ‘Three Kingdoms’ film. ‘What, another one?’ a friend asks. (Lau himself appeared in Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon.) Embarrassed to admit that Tao is his maid, Roger describes himself as her god-son (which is actually true in real life!). The film also continually plays with Lau’s star status: there’s a line where Tao tells him he could have been a film star; Roger repeatedly being mistaken for a tradesman due to his casual appearance, not a top film producer.

All of which could prove distracting, if not for Hui’s masterly direction and the rock solid performances of her leads. Deanie Ip gives a magnificent, spot-on turn as the fussy and protective domestic coming to terms with aging and the limitations that brings. It’s a wonderful return for an actress who has been overlooked for a decade now which deservedly won her the Coppa Volpi award for best actress for her role at the 68th Venice Film Festival. Lau, on the other hand, really gets to flex his acting muscles. Neither disappoint, and nor do the supporting cast, including veteran HK star Paul Chun Pui (The Water Margin, I Love Maria, Just Heroes, The Truth) as a wily, oversexed octogenarian, Qin Hailu (Qiu Xi, Love Battlefield) as a well-meaning supervisor at the care home and Chapman To (Infernal Affairs, Jiang Hu, Golden Chicken) as a dentist. These are real, believable characters.

A deeply moving and superb film from Ann Hui that will touch audiences – and a delight for Hong Kong film fans too!