Spout Mavens

Created on 6/20/2007, last active awhile ago.

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Re: Long Life, Happiness and Prosperity

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csprague
Posts 393

7/26/2007 4:30 PM
posted awhile ago

Long Life, Happiness and Prosperity

Directed by Mina Shum.

Starring Sandra Oh, Valerie Tian.

Director Mina Shum re-teams with the lead actress behind her breakthrough debut film Double Happiness in this magic-realist romantic comedy. Long Life, Happiness and Prosperity stars Sandra Oh as Kin Ho, a lonely single mom living in Vancouver with her impish 12-year-old daughter, Mindy (Valerie Tian). Mindy stumbles across a corner magic store while traipsing through Chinatown one day, and begins to believe that spells and potions are the perfect means for improving her mother's life. Her purchases not achieving the desired results, Mindy resorts to more serious schemes, courtesy of a fortune teller. After a few botched efforts -- which result in good fortune for a neighborhood butcher and terrible luck for a security guard -- Mindy sets herself to the task of finding her mother a mate in the form of Alvin (Russell Yuen), a co-worker of Kin's who has long admired her from afar. Long Life, Happiness and Prosperity premiered at the 2002 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide

Under discussion:

Double Happiness (1994)

Long Life, Happiness and Prosperity (2002)

marincat
Posts 38

8/2/2007 4:38 PM
posted awhile ago

Re: Long Life, Happiness and Prosperity

marincat's take on Long Life, Happiness and Prosperity

Demndiary
Posts 14

8/3/2007 12:22 PM
posted awhile ago

Re: Long Life, Happiness and Prosperity

Demndiary's take on Long Life, Happiness and Prosperity

indieabby88
Posts 327

10/24/2007 5:20 PM
posted awhile ago

Re:Long Life, Happiness and Prosperity

I've been recieving Film Movement movies from Spout to review since late July. So far, the films I've gotten have been okay. There have been one or two that I've enjoyed, but none that have really blown me away. "Long Life, Happiness and Prosperity" is the first movie I've gotten in the Film Movement series that made me wonder why the movie I was watching hadn't been released in theaters. It's a well-shot, well-acted, poignant and touching little film, and a great little insight into the lives of a community of Chinese immigrants.

The story centers on Mindy, a precocious little 12-year-old with an intense interest in ancient Chinese charms. She has a book of spells that she carries around with her throughout the movie. Her main goal is to fix up her single mother (Sandra Oh) with Alvin, her friendly boss at the Chinese restaurant where she works.

We are also introduced to various other characters in the community, people like the recently laid-off Shuck, and his attention-starved wife Hun-Ping. Then there's Bing Lai and his son Peter. Bing is a butcher trying to teach his son the tricks of the trade, while Peter is (secretly) training to be a Buddhist monk with help from his mother. Bing also has a very strained relationship with his father in China, and it appears that his whole life has been lived in an attempt to impress him.

These three separate stories wind together gracefully and beautifully, and the relationships (for the most part) are clearly drawn, with very sympathetic characters. There is one sequence about midway through the movie (I'm not about to ruin it) that is an attempt for a few good laughs, but while it is funny, it's also somewhat pointless. But I'm just being nit-picky. On the whole, "Long Life, Happiness and Prosperity" is an utter joy to watch. I'm so glad I got the opportunity to see it, and I'm sure anyone else who watches it, unless they haven't got a heart, will love it, too.