A zany if somewhat overzealous romp as this darkly entertaining meta-film about a struggling director (played by a fantastic Leslie Cheung) forced to make a Cat III erotic movie, features Shu Qi in a breakout role.
Review #2,629
Dir. Derek Yee & Law Chi Leung
1996 | Hong Kong | Comedy, Drama | 99 min | 1.85:1 | Cantonese & Mandarin
R21 (passed clean) for sexual scenes, nudity and coarse language
Cast: Leslie Cheung, Karen Mok, Shu Qi, Law Kar-Ying, Elvis Tsui
Plot: Sing’s last two films were flops, but he is given the helm on a Category III sex film and has to cope with a leading lady who won’t do nude scenes, triad backers, and a crumbling relationship with his girlfriend.
Awards: Nom. for Golden Bear (Berlinale); Nom. for 3 Golden Horse Awards – Best Director, Best Supporting Actress, Best Visual Effects
Distributor: Golden Harvest
Accessibility Index
Subject Matter: Slightly Mature – Softcore Porn Industry; Commercial vs. Art
Narrative Style: Straightforward
Pace: Normal
Audience Type: Slightly Mainstream
Viewed: Projector X: Picturehouse (as part of tribute to Leslie Cheung)
Spoilers: No
This film is as much Leslie Cheung’s as it is Shu Qi’s, the latter in a breakout supporting role as Mango, an actress who won’t do nude scenes in a Hong Kong Cat III erotic movie, much to the frustration of the director Sing, played by Cheung in one of his underrated roles that showcases his charming vulnerability.
As a film about HK’s bustling softcore porn industry, there is no shortage of sardonicism as directors Derek Yee and Law Chi Leung envision Viva Erotica as a meta-filmic takedown of both the absurdity and sensationalism of the genre.
Sing, facing a professional impasse after several box-office flops is forced to take on something outside of his comfort zone.
While nothing seems to go right on the production set, there is no lack of creativity and inspiration on display in Viva Erotica, which could be described as a zany, wild if somewhat overzealous romp.
“I won’t do nude scenes.”
Its opening scene sets the tone and modus operandi immediately, an almost hyper Evil Dead-like camera tracking towards two characters having passionate sex, only to be revealed that they are on a film set.
Not afraid to mix surreal scenes with matter-of-fact behind-the-scenes, it is sometimes difficult to determine what’s real, satirical or just pure fantasy (or someone fantasizing).
One of these fantasies appears to be a cheeky homage to A Clockwork Orange (1971) as naked people engage in an orgy, with the footage sped up and accompanied by music.
I usually find highly energetic films to be tiresome after a while, and there are moments in Viva Erotica when it seems to have done too much, but overall, it is entertaining, at times dark but mostly humorous. To top it off, Shu Qi doing a parody of bad porn acting is cinematic gold.
Grade: B+
Trailer:
Eternality Tan 