Ng Yan Ji Dai
1997 / 93m - Hong Kong
Comedy, Romance
2.0*/5.0*
Teaching Sucks poster

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October 26, 2020

2.0*/5.0*

A very early Wilson Yip romcom. Not really the genre you'd expect from Yip, but like most Hong Kong directors he found his calling by trying out whatever genre he could get his hands on. '97 was a bad year for Hong Kong cinema though and Yip wasn't really skilled enough yet to rise to the challenge.

Lam and Wong are two teacher who have lost their passion to teach. They keep each other occupied, but their students show little respect for them. Until Cathy joins the teacher squad, a young teacher full of drive and will to make a difference. Lam and Wong are both captivated by Cathy's vigor, but it's obvious they want more than just be friends.

Performances are a little lifeless, the cinematography is dim and the comedy is rarely funny. The story is anything but original, but at least the atmosphere is quite light and the pacing is decent. It's not that the film is terrible or doesn't work, it's just that there's hardly anything here that jumps out. Very basic filler.