Six Strong Guys (2004)
Luk Jong Si
Six Strong Guys DVD Movie Review
Hong Kong comedy-drama Six Strong Guys is about what happens when four close friends decide to commit suicide together. While working up the nerve to jump off the roof of a skyscraper, Long, Malcolm, Ben, and Chai watch their friend Shaun try to kill himself by jumping out of the 18th story window of the same building. The next day, Long's boss, Rico finds out about the suicide attempts and his concern makes him try to be a friend to Long.
Each man's disdain for the perils of his ordinary life drove him to this suicide pact. Long felt that he was being mistreated and underappreciated by his boss. Malcolm just found out that he is the father of his ex-girlfriend's baby. To make matters worse, the stress of this news has rendered him impotent. Ben is a successful hairdresser who feels trapped in a relationship with a woman he is not in love with. Chai has recently been laid off and spends most of his time at home pining for an old flame, while his wife is enjoying promotion after promotion. Shaun's life is controlled by his obsession with online video games. Rico, Long's boss, has recently been chosen to be the head of a large company and is constantly scrutinized by the company's former president, his stepfather.
For the most part, the plot of this movie is well compiled and easy to follow. One major flaw plaguing this story is its complete lack of balance. The plights of Long, Malcolm, Ben, and Chai deal with many of the major stressors facing men in their late twenties and early thirties. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to sympathize with someone who plays a little too much video games and someone who just had a very prosperous company tossed into his lap. Since these stories are not as important as those of the four main characters, the stories of Shaun and Rico are underdeveloped and out of place. This lack of balance would problematic if the title of the movie didn't refer to all six characters. Perhaps a title like Four Strong Guys and Two Other Guys They Kind of Know would be more fitting.
Six Strong Guys has its share of good laughs. The opening sequence where the four men are trying to coordinate a group suicide is priceless. Even the gags involving Malcolm's impotence are quite funny without seeming cheap and immature. Since this movie is a comedy dealing with matters that drive people to kill themselves, it is not without the obligatory life affirming moments. The majority of these moments are warranted and well deserved. The ending, where a tragedy brings everyone closer together, is too predictable and far too melodramatic to be included in an uplifting comedy drama.
As a whole, Six Strong Guys was an enjoyable picture. The comedic scenes are spot-on and the dramatic moments are effective at breaking up the comedy and establishing a sense of credibility. There are enough good points about this movie to make it better than most uplifting comedy-dramas. Unfortunately its many flaws and mediocre moments make it hard to justify watching this movie more than once.
Previous Asian Film Review : Blind Beast vs. Killer Dwarf
|
