Gui xin niang (1987)

Gui xin niang: Directed by David Lai, Taylor Wong. With Chow Yun-Fat, Cherie Chung, Deannie Ip, Siu-Fung Wong. A small-time triad member, played by Chow Yun-Fat, discovers a letter from an antique desk written by a young girl, played by Cherie Chung, who died from an illness years before. After her death, she was posthumously married to a grotesque-natured ghost husband; therefore, in her letter, she pleads for a person born on a certain lunar time and date to give up 3 years of his life to free her soul. Feeling sympathy and realizing he matches the type of person the girl is looking for, the triad member grants the girl the wish. In the days that follow, the girl’s ghost appears and begins to follow and keep watch over the triad member.

“This is a lukewarm story about a triad enforcer who is a loser in love. He brings home a desk, which causes his place to be possessed by a ghost, played by the beautiful Cherie Chung. He saves her from a fate brought on by her past and they fall in love. The question is, can they stay in love. I think this film tries too hard to be a slapstick comedy. The best moments, to me, are the interactions between Chow Yun Fat and Ms. Chung, which I feel arenu0026#39;t often enough. Actually, the women in this film are one dimensional, especially a former girlfriend, who becomes an accidental suicide. The actors are good, including the cute Deannie Yip, but I feel the film tries too hard to be funny when it may have worked better as a romance. There is no denying the ability and appeal of Chow Yun Fat and Cherie Chung, but I wanted more of them being together. It is watchable, and its not bad, but I thought it would be less smacking people around and more of an exploration into relationships. If you like Chow Yun Fat and/or Cherie Chung, please check this out. Otherwise, they have both been much more appealing in other films.”