Chinese Odyssey 2002 is a 2002 Hong Kong movie directed by Jeff Lau and produced by Wong Kar-wai. It stars Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Faye Wong, Vicki Zhao and Chang Chen. It is a Lunar New Year film, a practice of the Hong Kong movie industry to release a movie (usually a comedy) so as to boost movie ticket sales during the holiday season.

Plot outline

Ah Long (Tony Leung Chiu Wai) is the town bully, known for his boorish manners and reckless attitude which endeared him to no one, save his sister Feng (Vicki Zhao) who has a curious penchant for cross-dressing. At this point of the film, it can be assumed that both these siblings would virtually have no chance at marriage due to their misfits.

Faye Wong is cast as a runaway princess who was also dressed as a man, a disguise which fooled both Long and Feng and the former immediately decided that he liked the new-found friend so much that he would entrust his sister's hand in marriage to the mistaken identity princess. The princess of course would not marry another woman and tried to fend off Long's suggestions of a match but she also likes Long after a while.

The Emperor (Chang Chen) also left his palace temporarily in order to search for his missing sister. He dresses like a commoner and by a strange twist of fate, ends up knowing Long and Feng and took interest in the latter whom he tries to court. His intentions to leave the palace was also buoyed by the fact that he was unhappy and lonely at the court and wanted to escape the smothering influence of the Queen Mother (Rebecca Pan) who played an Empress Dowager dictatorial rule in the actions of her son.

The Princess was also assisted by her 'fairy godmother' (Athena Chu) in marrying her match. The Queen Mother heard of her wayward children and storms Long's house, where her children were holed up, only to hear that they wished to marry two commoners with unpleasant and eccentric tendencies. She agrees to give her children a chance at their personal happiness and sets them to particular tasks of which the Emperor accomplishes his easily and wins Feng's hand in marriage. Only Long was unable to do likewise and the Queen Mother forbids the lovers to marry.

The ending is easily predicted as Long eventually married the Princess and all ends happily ever after. The entire plot is wrought with the desire to find true love although the entire film is meant to be a comedy.

Cast and roles include

• Tony Leung Chiu Wai - Li Yilong
• Faye Wong - Princess Wushuang
• Vicki Zhao - Phoenix
• Chang Chen - Emperor Zheng De
• Roy Cheung - Chu Liangshim
• Athena Chu - Amour Amour
• Rebecca Pan - Queen mother
• Jan Lamb - Comentary (voice)
• Chan Fai-hung - Emperor (voice)
• Goo-Bi GC - Phoenix (voice)
• Eric Kot
• Jeffrey Lau - President Chen
• Jing Ning

Awards

• Nomination, Best Actress, 2002 (Faye Wong) at the 22nd Annual Hong Kong Film Awards
• Winner, Best Picture at the 9th Annual Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards
• Winner, Best Actress at the 9th Annual Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards

See also

• Hong Kong in films

External link

• IMDB entry