Sealed With A Kiss (1999)
Kam Shui (Louis Koo) and his mate Angel (Su Au) are the local layabouts in a Peng Chau village. The two are close friends; he is mute and she is his sign language translator and partner in punch-ups. When Kam Shui's adoptive mother leaves the island for Kowloon, she leaves him responsibility for a small inn. Mandy (Yoyo Mung) takes the guestroom. In her earlier visit we've seen her take the room after breaking up with a man. Now she's back after yet another breakup and Kam Shui tries to follow-up on his earlier attraction to her. But it's not on ñ she gushes over a local fireman who cannot return the admiration. Kam Shui doesn't want to see Mandy burnt by him and sets him up by writing the fireman's love letters and giving courtship directions...
The romantic poster and lobby cards, and the bridal shop advertising tie-in, are not representative of this film. And so is the title. I walked into the cinema ready for some soft sentimentality and was plunged into a solid and textured script. Gentle touches abound against bolder script devices. At base level it's an engrossing little story of unfulfilled love in a Hong Kong backwater. But I felt a running theme, intentional or not, of ineptitude and inability among men when handling relationships. Louis Koo, Yoyo Mung and perky Su Au team up wonderfully and had enough character depth to manipulate this viewer ñ the sense of frustration with Kam Shui's failed advance on Mandy is heightened by his inability to communicate.
Set on the island of Peng Chau, Sealed With a Kiss' scenes of the village and its hillsides trounce the advertising images the Hong Kong Tourist Association comes up with. Terrific tale aside, Derek Chiu's film proves you don't need highrises and harbour shots to sell a very seductive Hong Kong.
![[ Billboard at Astor Classics cinema ]](../pictures/sealed.jpg)
Sealed With a Kiss hand-painted billboard at the Astor Classics cinema in Yau Ma Tei.
Credits:
Directed by Derek Chiu
Produced by Johnnie To
Scripted by Hui Hong
Original score by Van Lok and Chris Cho
Starring Louis Koo, Yoyo Mung, Su Au and Raymond Wong