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 ait
'til you're Older" is a
Hong Kong
take on the ever-popular fantasy scenario of a
child inhabiting the body of an adult. This is a
theme much-beloved of Hollywood screenwriters,
with essentially the same film appearing every few
years with a different big name taking the chance
to act wacky (Tom Hanks in "Big",
Jennifer Garner in "13 Going on 30").
However, it is rare for any of these films to
tackle the concept with any kind of emotional
depth or feeling of consequence, which is exactly
what director Teddy Chan has done in "Wait
'til you're Older", and it is this which
lifts the film from being a mere rehash of the
same old routine or an empty vehicle for the
appropriately ageless Andy Lau.
The story follows Kwong, an
unhappy boy living with his father (Felix Wong,
also in "Drunken Master 2") and his
stepmother (Karen Mok, "So
Close"). Kwong desperately misses his
real mother, whose death he lays squarely at the
feet of his father, causing a great deal of
resentment. After running away for the umpteenth
time, Kwong comes across a strange inventor (Feng
Xiaogang, director of "A
World Without Thieves", in a cameo) and
steals a serum which causes rapid growth. An
accident follows, and sure enough, Kwong awakes
the next morning as Andy Lau.
Passing himself off as the
elder brother of one of his friends, Kwong sets
about solving the mysteries of adult life, and
attempts to woo his teacher, Miss Lee (frequent
star of Wong Jing films Cherrie Ying).
Unfortunately, things turn out to be far more
complicated than he had imagined, and matters are
made worse by the fact that his miraculous aging
process shows no sign of slowing down.
Although the plot may sound
rather familiar, "Wait 'til you're
Older" does actually cover some surprisingly
complex emotional ground, and in a way which is
rewarding and genuinely moving. Director Chan
manages to avoid too many saccharine moments, and
though to some extent the film is predictable, it
never wallows in clichés or cheap sentiment. In
fact, the film goes one step further and bravely
moves into territory untouched by similar
Hollywood
efforts, making an honest attempt to explore
questions of mortality. As such, despite the
elements of fantasy and a fair amount of comedy,
this is not a film aimed at young viewers, but
which speaks to adults afraid of growing old and
leading wasted lives.
Of course, the film is hugely
dependent on Lau's performance, and thankfully he
yet again proves that his acting is far better
than his singing. He is pleasingly believable as a
character that passes so rapidly through the
various stages of life, essentially remaining a
child but learning the bitter truth of existence
along the way. Charismatic and even charming, Lau
shows considerable skill in lifting a role which
could easily have degenerated into cheap comedy.
The special effects for the aging process are
convincing, although they do tend to make Lau's
face look suspiciously smooth during his initial
transformation. However, it is to his credit that
the character remains constant and recognisable
through the film and that his growth never comes
across as a gimmick but instead as a natural part
of the story.
Chan's direction suits the
theme of the story perfectly, with just enough
touches of the surreal to create a fairy tale
atmosphere. The film is for the most part filled
with bright colours, giving an initial feeling of
hope and possibility, which is maintained
throughout, even towards the end when the shadows
start to creep in. The film moves along quickly,
though perhaps too much so, as with a running time
of only an hour and a half, a number of subplots,
most notably Kwong's romance with Miss Lee, are
blatantly underdeveloped and seem to have been
thrown in as an afterthought.
This is a minor criticism,
however, and one which does not prevent "Wait
'til you're Older" from being a highly
enjoyable and surprisingly moving film. In fact,
the brief running time is eminently preferable to
the usual bloated excess which so often plague
modern films, and allows the director more than
enough space to convey his ideas and themes both
effectively and efficiently. The only other flaw,
perhaps inevitably, comes in the form of Lau's
singing, with the viewer needlessly being made to
suffer as he croons his way through background
ballads, threatening though thankfully not quite
succeeding in reducing one pivotal scene to
unintentional comedy. |
