Vulgaria (Chinese: 低俗喜劇) is a 2012 Hong Kong comedy film directed by Pang Ho-cheung.[1]

Vulgaria
低俗喜劇
Directed byPang Ho-cheung
Screenplay byPang Ho-cheung
Lam Chiu-wing
Luk Yee-sum
Produced byPang Ho-cheung
Subi Liang
StarringChapman To
Ronald Cheng
Dada Chan
Fiona Sit
CinematographyJason Kwan
Edited byWenders Li
Music byAlan Wong
Janet Yung
Production
company
Making Film Productions
Distributed byGolden Scene Co. Ltd
Release date
  • 9 August 2012 (2012-08-09) (Hong Kong)
Running time
92 mins.
CountryHong Kong
LanguageCantonese
BudgetHK$8,000,000
Box officeHK$30,069,986

The film won Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress at the 32nd Hong Kong Film Award.[2]

Plot

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Struggling movie producer To Wai-cheung is hardly able to make alimony payments to his ex-wife, and yet his daughter Jacqueline hopes to one day see him being interviewed by TVB so she can show her schoolmates her father is a real movie producer. In order to fulfill his daughter's dream, through his best buddy Lui he meets Tyrannosaurus, a Guangxi based triad head and a movie investor with a peculiar taste. Tyrannosaurus takes the duo out to a dinner full of weird dishes. He wants a remake of his favorite film, the 1976 Shaw Brothers sex scorcher Confession of a Concubine, to be renamed as Confessions of Two Concubines, but only if Siu Yam-yam reprises her original starring role. As Siu Yam-yam is unwilling to act naked at her present age, To has to hire Popping Candy, with whom he has oral sex, as Siu's body double. Worse still, To and Liu, who refuse to eat the dishes before them, are told by Tyrannosaurus that the deal can be sealed only if they have sex with a mule.

Cast

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Release

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The film received HK$30 million at the box office.[3]

Critical reception

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Deborah Young of The Hollywood Reporter said, "Fully living up to its title, Vulgaria is Hong Kong comedy at its breeziest and most communicative."[4]

Richard Kuipers of Variety said, "Freewheeling pic, helmed by the prolific Pang Ho-cheung scores more hits than misses and, deep down, has a warm heart that bobs up nicely in the closing stages."[5]

Beijing film critic Jia Xuanning won the Hong Kong Arts Development Council's inaugural Critic's Prize with a critique essay of Vulgaria. Entitled "Gazing at the Anxiety of Hong Kong Film Through Vulgaria", the essay critiqued the film's low brow humor and negative portrayal of mainlanders. Pang responded by arguing that the "Hong Kong spirit is embodied in freedom of speech".[3][6]

The film was nominated for six Golden Horse Awards.[3]

References

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  1. ^ James Marsh (4 July 2012). "Sexy Nurses Sell Movie Tickets! New VULGARIA Poster". Twitch. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
  2. ^ "32nd Hong Kong Film Awards 2013". HK Neo Reviews. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
  3. ^ a b c Kao, Ernest (26 February 2013). "Beijing film critic wins ADC prize for slamming Hong Kong film". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  4. ^ "Vulgaria: Filmart Review". The Hollywood Reporter. 22 March 2012.
  5. ^ "Vulgaria". Variety. 24 July 2012.
  6. ^ Sebag-Montefiore, Clarissa (6 April 2013). "Hong Kong film industry changes focus to mainland". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
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