Which Is NOT : a story starring a bird,flying back home after winter to greet the spring time.Of ocurse,it is basically about 4 "birds",meaning women and their singing careers,love lives,and more importantly,their utter devotion for one another,seen through the eyes of the main protagonist,the woman in white played by Sharon Teng.I can't remember the character's name.
How Long : I can't remember,should be more than 10 tapes.
Who :
Sharon Teng......girl in white
Sheung Tin Ngor....girl in red
Man Yee Man...girl in blue
Choi Hiu yee...girl in gold
Kong Wah..guy with the saxophone
The rest,I can't remember.
Now this is going to be a fun review huh?For the first time in my review writing history,characters' can be called like the above.So I'll use the actors' names to not confuse you.Funny though,isn't it?
The Plot : Based entirely on the stage play cum movie version with the same title but played by different actresses,and actor,the only difference with this series version and the movie version is the length and the ending,apart from the obvious change in the actors and actresses.The colours were also the same.
Sharon is your really young girl aspiring to be a singer.She works in a night club singing away every night,with her three best buddies,the other three girls listed above.They sang different type of songs.Sharon being the happier and optimistic one,she sang songs that has a certain fun and faster beat to it,Sheung being older and in Red and with a temper,she sang songs in English,Man being in blue and being sad all the time,sang sad Chiense songs whilst the one in Gold being the generally happy go lucky tuype sang songs in,well happy songs if you know what I mean.
Sharon was already a star in the making,being in white and all.It was then she met teh saxophone guy,Kong Wah,an aspiring songwriter who was down on his luck,until he wrote one really good song that made Sharon into an overnight sensation but he,well he was not mentioned at all.But during this tulmutous time of 6o's HK,they fell in love.Despite the differences in fame and wealth,the guy stuck with her and ebcamea regular band member.As she became more famous,their relationship became strained.
At the mean time,Man who had a BF by that time left her singing career and went with the guy to tour in whereelse but Vietnam.Bad choice since we all know what was going on there during that time,and after awhile they got news that she died in a bomb blast with her husband,but shewas pregnant when she left.So what happened to the baby?
And then something happened and Kong Wah left Sharon,for many many years and she waited for him to come back to her,whilst at the mean time,the one in gold married the night club owner and lived very comfortably.
Many years has passed,Sharon has since retired from the singing world but still as famous.She was still intouch with Choi,and when they got news that the old night club was going to be torn down,they all gathered for one last night of performance.Then Sharon met this young saxophone player,who knew a lot about her.Through many questions and answers later,she found out that he was the long lost son of Man's,the one that died in the bomb blast.He was rescued by Kong Wah when he went looking for him in vietnam,took care of him and taught him music.And after almost 20 years of seperation,she finally saw the lover of her lufe again,but the one burning question remains,"Why the hell you didn't call me for 20 years????"Why indeed.
So Why???: Can I have the drum roll please?Ahem.........he was captured by the enmy,and in prison he met this lovely young girl who risked her life by taking a bullet for him,but she survived.She became paralysed and for 20 years,he took care of her,not leaving her until she died and then and only then he came home to Sharon.Because he was gratefula nd he was too nice to leave that poor woman alone.Wanna know Sharon's reaction?
The Ultimate Classic Scene : She screamed at him,calling him selfish and in the end,after longing and hoping and waiting and waiting and waiting and finally the guy of her dreams was in front of her,telling her such a story,SHE LEFT HIM!!Because she was one stubborn lady.I would say,poor guy.What was he to do?Leave that poor girl?
Best Scenes : One scene only.The song scene by Sharton,suppsoedly written by Kong Wah the character,NOT THE ACTOR.The song was really good,same song as was in teh movie version.Something about love that kinda reflected her own love affair with that guy,so I 'll try to translate here,and you go to the URL below and listen to it lar hah;
"You..You..You for love...you are never calm...you...you..you for love,willing to face loneliness....and for love,you're willing to throw everything out of the window.."
Well,something like that.
And also teh flirtation scenes between Kong and Sharon,quite romantic but you knew they were never meant to be.
The Most Sickening Aspect : The ending.I WANT A HAPPY ENDING!!!!!!
Most Compatible Couple(s) as in the serial : Sharon and Kong Wah?I don't think so because the woman looked kinda old.
Best Performances : Everybody was good in here,but some way better.
Man Yee Man was perfect as the suffering girl in blue.Sharon was way too old to play the character she played in the movie,but in the movie the actress was old too,so cannot complain.But Sharon has a tendecy,even now to talk in high pitch voice,especially when she is screaming,and her voice is kinda like her noce is stuck and she is talking.But still she can be quite an effective actress.
I must mention him,Kong Wah.Really young,better looking and well,very very good,though he could at least take some saxophone lessons to make it mroe believable.And my God,his English was so bad.But then,cannot complain,my favourite actor what?!Anyway,this guys is consistently good,so good for him,but like I've always said,the most underused actor of TVB,and a great pity because this guy could reallt act,with his eyes and his body language.Something Charmaine Sheh may want to learn from him,but then he is a natural talent.
If I were the writers I would ....:Switch actresses.Man Yee Man should play the girl in white,because she looked younger,and prettier.And the ending,change it!
If I were you,I would.... : Watch the movie version.Shorter,sweeter,better ending.
Is it worth Renting : Actually,I enjoyed this series tremendously though I thought teh make ups were like 10 inches thicker on Sharon,because you know,she's like old.But that was before she took to physical training,and look at her now,so lean,so slim,and so healthy looking.
Anyway,a good series,but a tad too long compared to the movie version but the movie version lacked a lot of things,like human drama.The movie was on a touch and go basis,so if you want a much more complete one,watch the series,if you do not have the patience,watch the movie.
Interesting Comparisons : With the movie with the same title.
The ending was different.the movie version,ether was no corny story of a paralysed heroic girl,but simply the man reappeared and they danced together and thatw as the ending.Meaning a happy ending I guess.
Much more drama,because the movie being a stage version adn 2 hours long,a lot of things couldn't be told,so in the series version we have much mroe longer storyline for all four women,and a believable romance between Kong and Sharon.
Different actresses.The one in white,played by Sharon was played by a well known stage actress that later made it good(not big though) in HK cinema and was once Lui Sei Leong in the Hitman Chronicles by TVB,starring Eddie Chan.
Man Yee Man's girl in blue wa played by HK's other well known stage actress,who is also TVB's own actress,So Yoke Wah,that one in Plain Love II,and also Kindred Spirits,amongst others.
The other two characters were played by stage actresses,name unknown.
As for Kong Wah's saxophone guy,the movie version was played by David Wu,though I am not sure if he acted in the stage version.
The songs were all the same,especially the principal song,you know that "you..you..you" song.
Interesting Observation : Did you know that Sheung Tin Ngor sang all the English songs herself?And sometimes,you can hear Sharon's own voice in the songs sessions.Not bad at all,but certainly being such a star in the making person,I wopuld have hped for a much more nicer voice.The stage one was obviously sung by the actresses themselves.
Special Mention : Old series by ATV,so if you really wanna rent this one,in cantonese it is called:
Ngor Wor Chun Tin Yau Kor Yeuk Wui.
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