FEAR OF INTIMACY
Hong Kong, 2003, 100 minutes, Colour.
Tony Leung, Ka- Fai, Michelle Alysha Saram.
Directed by Vincent Chui.
Fear of Intimacy is a story about a photographer whose girlfriend leaves him. He doesn’t know what has happened – and does not realise that it is his own treatment, his neglect of her because of his work. The result is that he becomes particularly antisocial, photographing celebrities, leading a promiscuous life with colleagues.
The film is interesting as a Hong Kong drama – rather than an action film. It also is a star vehicle for popular Hong Kong star, Tony Leung Ka Fai.
1. A Hong Kong film, international appeal, romance, murder and suspense, mystery?
2. The visual style, the photography of the city, the coast? The perspective of a photographer?
3. The structure of the film: the prologue, the passing of five years, flashbacks, flashbacks within flashbacks? Whose story being told? The romance and the mystery? The score?
4. The setting up with the prologue: the photographer, his being late, the relationship with Bo, her coming back from Canada, his reassuring her, breaking promises, lovemaking, on the beach, the phone call, the demands of his work, going, photographing her, not seeing her again? The effect on him, his accident? The later flashback and the perspective of Bo, her being hurt, watching the photographer go, her decision to disappear? Her marrying, her wealth, lack of love for her husband? The encounter with Anson, the affair, being taken to the beach house, her memories, explaining the situation to Anson? His setting up the meeting with the photographer, their discussions, reflections, the resolution of the past, the pain of the affair? Her future?
5. The photographer, his becoming a paparazzo? His work with the journalists, investigative photography, his assistants, rejecting Ken (and later finding that his name was Man)? The clashes with the bosses? The girl from Singapore, her working with him, going into the club? Their following the taxi? The discovery of the woman's body? The mystery of her death? Continuing to investigate, the photos, the record in the club? The body, the murder site, giving the information to the police?
6. The girl from Singapore, her hopes, having studied the photography of the paparazzo, his being her hero? Her dedication to work, in the office, pleasing people, bringing them snacks? The investigation, the police? The relationship to the photographer, going to find an apartment, with Anson, going to beach house, seeing the photo of the rock in the photographer's office? Her fight with her boyfriend, her missing going in the car to reconstruct the murder? The photos, her going into the club, discovering that Anson was involved? Her anger with the photographer, admission of her pregnancy, his going to the abortion clinic, her having the abortion, her future?
7. The photographer, his being a workaholic, his skills, at the office, with his supervisors, his old-fashioned styles of developing his photography? The relationship with the girl from Singapore, helping her? The surveillance, searching for the apartment? The beach house? His relationship with Anson, going to the house, the meeting with Bo, the reliving of the past? The young girl, the abortion, buying her flowers - a future?
8. Anson, his work in the agency, its being a cover, the girl and warning him that he was being pursued? In the club, the dates, his relationship with the gang, the setting up of the murdered woman, in the taxi, the robbery, his not being present when she was murdered, his reaction to the members of the gang? His relationship with Bo, at the beach house, his learning of the past? His confessing, going to the police?
9. The theme of the lost romance and regrets, the possibility of a new life? Combined with a murder mystery, suspense and investigation? How effectively did the two combine and explore themes of relationships, work, disappointments? The fears of intimacy in the central characters and the title of the film?
