Can't Buy Me Love (2010)

You should judge this series for what it is, and not what you think it ought to be. It doesn’t pretend to be profound. It doesn’t aspire to be historically accurate, realistic, or even logical. It’s just a family comedy and a farce. You can rest assure that nothing really bad will ever happen to your favorite characters.

Kam Duo Lok was not your typical male lead. He was neither smart nor brave. He was not a talented scholar, a great martial artist, or even a shrewd businessman. Actually, he was kind of a bum, though one that was lucky enough to be born into a rich family. He won’t stand up for himself, but he was willing to stand up for others when no one else would. His heart was in the right place and that was how he won over his princess. Moses Chan always has comedic chops and was a good fit for this role. His most memorable moment was when he led his brothers-in-law in protest against their abusive wives. He fearlessly roasted his own wife, her sisters, and even his father-in-law, the emperor himself. Moses looked like he was having a blast with this scene. Too bad the script didn’t give him much else to work with.

Unlike Moses, Charmaine Sheh was still a little self-conscious in her acting. She seemed all too aware that she had to look pretty, even in the scenes that required her to look silly. The supporting cast wasn’t bad, mostly because you’re not supposed to take any of them seriously. As a comedy, it was amusing enough but not laugh-out-loud funny. They needed to have more “straight man” characters to make the jokes work.

A lot of work went into the making the costumes look rich and luxurious. Too bad the crew went overboard with it. Some of the colors clashed and the wigs were past the point of ludicrous. There were so much jewelry and ornaments, but they looked as cheap as the stuff you see at the night markets. The thick war paint didn’t do anyone any favors, either, especially Charmaine, who was most radiant in simple hairstyles and light makeup. The makeup here made her look like she was in drag.

I like the Charmaine-Moses partnership since “Beyond the Realm of Conscience.” They seemed very comfortable with each other. Too bad TVB didn’t give them a better vehicle to showcase their talents.

Leggi di Più