Sea Root (1995)
Reviewed by: jfierro on 1999-12-21
Yet another underrated film from 1995. A family of fishermen ---so-called boat people --- need help on their boat, so they buy a mainland woman (Alice Lau) who is dying to come to Hong Kong. In fact, she knows more about Hong Kong than the eldest son (Lau Ching-Wan), not surprising since he is a stammering recluse who prefers to stay on the boat rather than go on shore and interact with people. But through her pure energy and curiosity, Alice Lau not only forces Lau Ching-Wan to go out into the world, but come out of his shell. It's predictable but charming, and the subtext of Lau Ching-Wan's interaction with his own family boosts the film to another level. Another good performance by Lau Ching-Wan, and a great job by Alice Lau make it a film well worth watching.