2007-01-20

生日快樂 Happy Birthday

每年的生日,小米 Mi (劉若英 Rene Lau 飾) 都坐立不安的等待著一封風雨不改的電郵,一封從小南 Nam(古天樂  Louis Koo  飾),一個她從來無法忘記的人寄來的生日電郵。10年後,滂沱大雨之下,這封電郵遲了42個小時。但小南真的忘了“生日快樂”這個祝福的承諾嗎?

小米與小南被大學同學公認為會是最早結婚的一對。小米是個從沒安全感的女孩,因為害怕失去,那夜她竟在小南懷中要求只作比好朋友好的朋友;小南是個受歡迎的男孩,他一心愛著小米,然而他從不能搞懂小米的想法。他們就像是兩種奇怪的生物,如此的相互需要、相互吸引,卻又是如此的不能共存。小南往外國升學後,二人分手了,卻仍然保持著相互取暖、比好朋友好的朋友關係。無論小米和小南身邊出現多少情人、無論小米怎麼口口聲聲的說她不會嫁給小南,身旁朋友都深深感到,小米只愛小南,小南也只愛小米,總有一天他們會名正言順的走在一起。

然而多年後,他們盼望的都沒有來臨,一天,小南竟說自己將要結婚。小米這才醒覺,這一次,她是真真正正的失去小南… 10年聚散,他天天都掛念著她,每一年,小米都會收到小南的一個生日電郵,一年一次的連繫,讓彼此知道對方的關心… 然而因為一個秘密… 他們守護著彼此也傷害了彼此…

繼【心動】後,改編自劉若英的短篇小說《Happy Birthday》,張艾嘉編劇,導演馬楚成最新浪漫感人作品。從大學時代開始的10個生日歲月裡,在每年生日的祝福中,一對聚散又分離的情侶,究竟能不能得到彼此歸屬的幸福呢?


Happy Birthday is a visually poetic portrait of a woman's inability to establish a fruitful romantic relationship owing to a lack of a sense of security.

A tragic love story can easily become a tear jerker, yet the director handles the subject with tact and tries hard to move the audience with a simple love story. Xiao Mi, influenced by her mother's sudden leave in her childhood, becomes a vulnerable girl who lacks confidence and is easily freaked out by the idea of loss. She is worried that a handsome boy will go one day and that's why she refuses to call Xiao Nam her boyfriend. Her personality results in regrets...

Thanks to the Muji-like setting, the love story looks purer and more simple. The white walls, the cream-coloured cushions,  the beige teapoy, etc, may linger in your mind when you leave the theatre. The props are also carefully chosen to show the moving time. The soundtrack is more touching than the movie and I love the theme song very much. It has been with me for several nights. By the way, the setting and the characters' names also remind me of 向左走向右走. 幾米's fans may like this film!

The cast's performance is beyond my expectation. Rene Lau (劉若英)'s finely nuanced performance is much appreciated. 古天樂, 吳耀漢, 周俊偉 and 吳嘉龍 also act naturally, whereas it is not convincing for Mr. Ku to act a university student when the wrinkles on his forehead can be obviously seen and 曾寶儀 slightly overacts.

Because of the moving trialer, I expected too much before watching the movie. As a result, I was a bit disappointed owing to several reasons. First, there is an unpredictable twist at the end, but it is not an original one. I heard some people complain that the ending was old-fashioned. Second, I feel little pity for Xiao Mi as it is SHE who proposes being his best friend first and it is also SHE who regrets. If I were her, I won't announce that I wanna change the relationship. Once she does so, she should know that he can have another girlfriend and may even get married. Later, Mi even has sex with Nam while she knows that he has a grilfriend in Hong Kong! After TEN years, is it reasonable for Nam to get married with another woman when she never calls Nam her boyfriend and she allows him to have another girlfriend? Third, the first hour of the movie is a bit boring. Fourth, it is a pity that Rene's voice is dubbed into Cantonese.

Although I personally find the plot mediocre and the ending slightly disappointing, Rene's subtle performance, the Muji-like setting and those memorable and delicate quotes deserve our praise. I give this honest Hong Kong movie 3 stars out of 5.


16 則留言:

  1. See the music video and trailer! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT5qjZqEsl4 劉若英 - 生日快樂 / 詞︰林夕 / 曲︰陳輝陽 彷彿你就在我身邊 等待了一年 又一年 對你的思念 三百六十五天 我只等 這一天 勇敢地把從前 情人節快樂 變成 祝你生日快樂 I LOVE YOU 說不出口的傾訴 I MISS YOU 讓掛念 代替了 相處 瞬間是永遠 談情變祝福 可惜 甜言也帶苦 I LOVE YOU 是最完美的結束 I MISS YOU 一輩子 靠今天 接觸 瞬間是永遠 談情變祝福 可惜 都於事無補 今夜 有人陪你慶祝 不枉 我一年的孤獨 請你 原諒我 不多寫一個字 像 普通人糢糊 多一字 多份痛 今夜 我不想哭 Happy Birthday To You Happy Birthday To You

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  2. 原來你都係咁覺得呀,呢次大家既思路都差唔多喎! 係呀,個故仔真係好老土,典型文藝愛情悲劇,睇到我都覺得佢真係「自己攞來賤」!登徒話成個mood都好70年代,因為依家唔會再有人咁樣等你,最後仲要「娘」到個結局要死鬼左,我都係咁話。如果唔係因為奶茶粉絲,我都唔鬼入去睇!

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  3. Agree Agree Agree! I also listened to 登徒's programme! Therefore, the movie does not touch me much. I prefer The Holiday to Happy Birthday!

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  4. I enjoyed this movie also

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  5. 我不敢去看这戲, 剧情跟我同他太似, 每年就是等他new year sms, 為大家送上祝福, 好叫大家知道还安好, 不經不覺己經四年了, 難道現代人真的不會这样嘛???

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  6. Wiski, I totally share your view. I do believe the story can happen in reality. That's life... What we can do is to treasure the people around us and try our best to LOVE. Then, there will be no regrets... no matter what the result will be. ^^

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  7. 看完呢部電影, 我感到, 如果要相愛, 就要勇敢去愛, 唔想好似古仔, 這樣孤獨離去, 亦唔想好似劉若英以為古仔愛了別人. 值的欣喜, 古仔同劉若英都演繹得好自然.

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  8. i like rene liu very much although i haven't watched the film i can feel why you think it's chessy.  this is one of those films that is good on book to read but boring to watch.

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  9. I love her songs and I like your line "good on book to read but boring to watch".

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  10. 早幾天終於看了, 沒預期的感動, 由始至終都冇喊过, 可能睇得太多review對套戲太高期望, 但睇完套戲嗰晚竟然喊左....人生如戲, 戲如人生

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  11. As I have said before, I feel little pity for Xiao Mi . The movie is just ok. I did not shed a tear in the theatre too...

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  12. 睇唔慣古天樂嗰look呀! 無咩書卷氣, 反而似一個虛偽嘅四眼仔! 不過呢類小品電影响而家嘅港產片巳經買小見小, 所以值得支持!

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  13. 我都有睇 " 生日快樂 ", 我覺他們太"兒希"了, 如果真係真深愛對方, 又那會這樣呢? 現實世界的人注重過程多於結果, 而她主角卻害怕結果而放棄這後情, 導致後期的後悔出現....

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  14. Kenji~多謝你黎我個Blog度留言阿 當初會睇[生日快樂]都系因為古仔做男主角~~ 不過我都贊成造型設計得有D問題~~古仔真系無咩書卷氣~~ 其實覺得有點 pride and prejudice 既感覺~~都系死要面同誤解對方累事~~ 如果唔系小米對人極度缺乏安全感而習慣逃避去依賴人~~ 又如果阿小南可以肯定點干脆點去求婚既話~就唔洗搞到分分合合甘頭痕~~~ 其實都唔系完全脫節既~~~因為我自己本身都有片中主角既同感~~覺得如果等到最後大家都成熟了玩夠了安定了之後再一齊就可以既話~就真系識得珍惜維繫到老~~~~ 之不過呢種甘生活化既題材~~居然落得生離死別既結局~就覺得有D搞到唔湯唔水~畫蛇添足甘﹗~~~~~  

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  15. totally agree with your analysis!

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  16. halo! 謝謝你的留言啊! 這套戲我也有看,可能是事前什麼資料/評論都沒看,沒有什麼期待,入場看後覺得也不錯. 我也同意他們之間的故事有點“自尋煩惱”的...

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