Doomsday Party Explained

Doomsday Party
Director:Ho Hong
Producer:Teddy Robin, Ho Hong, Roddy Wong
Starring:Paul Wong, Kay Tse, Kelvin Kwan, Teddy Robin, Wilfred Lau
Music:Teddy Robin, Tommy Wai
Cinematography:Cheng Siu-Keung
Editing:Wenders Li
Studio:Film Plus Plus Production
Country:Hong Kong
Language:Cantonese

Doomsday Party is a 2013 Hong Kong drama film directed by newcomer Ho Hong and featuring an ensemble cast including Paul Wong, Kay Tse, Kelvin Kwan, Teddy Robin and Wilfred Lau.

Plot

The film opens with scenes of angry protests in front of Hong Kong's LegCo building. Following a double bomb scare, police attempt to disperse the crowd, only to fuel further rage. A few blocks away, Lang (Kelvin Kwan) and his acolyte Fish (Fish Liew) take advantage of the surrounding chaos to hold up a bank. Armed with a pistol and makeshift bombs, they threaten employees and customers, among whom police detective Kin-Ho (Paul Wong), celebrity English tutor Victor Lo (Wilfred Lau), bank clerk Wan Yee (Kay Tse), councillor Ho (KK Cheung), his mistress Rebecca (Maggie Chan), and an old man clinging to a mysterious envelope (Teddy Robin).

After the opening credits, the action goes back in time to follow the intertwining lives of these eight characters.

Reception

In the South China Morning Post, Yvette Leh rated the film 3/5, stating "Ho, who directed, wrote and co-produced the film, is to be commended for an ambitious work packed with substantive content and believable characters."[1] Clarence Tsui of The Hollywood Reporter showed less enthusiasm: "the initial rage against Hong Kong's ruling machine ... quickly dissipates to reveal clichéd romantic or familial melodrama".[2]

Notes and References

  1. News: Film review: Anti-heroes rise above in Doomsday Party . Yvette . Leh . South China Morning Post. 27 July 2016.
  2. News: Doomsday Party (Moot Yat Paai Dui): Film Review . Clarence . Tsui . The Hollywood Reporter. 14 November 2013. 27 July 2016.