Another Fruit Chan existentialist/slice-of-life movie that vividly depicts the underside of HK life from the perspective of both a young northern mainland Chinese woman working as a prostitute in HK, as well as a preteen girl who along with her family from Shenzhen are working illegally in HK.

Both protagonists interact with and within the very fringes of HK society, and we are very carefully never shown the polished outer beauty of the city, but rather the alleys, pipes and sewers that one never sees of the backend. Indeed they are specific examples of poorer and less fortunate peoples that comprise the fringe.

I never really did comprehended the exact nature of the juxtaposition of the very determined, disciplined and confident young mainland woman (who is in HK for the purpose of making money to start her own business), and the completely innocent yet inquisitive preteen girl who is still trying to understand the world around her while helping her mother wash dishes for a restaurant (which we never actually get to see). At one point I was led to believe the preteen was to become like the younger woman, or would be "corrupted" in some way. But that was manifestly not the case. What was clear, was the determination and confidence they both had in dealing with their life situations and made the best of what they had.

The film, being what it is of course, does not really have any simple or explicit point, and the viewer is left to draw their own conclusions about the nature of the characters and their existence. And there is a lot to consider; and , I believe, a lot to challenge the western viewer as things never quite happen is I would expect.

Like all of Fruit Chan's work, the nature of this movie is completely contrary to HK movie industry "product." And within that framework it really stands out. Yet, on the other hand it also fits rather neatly into the larger international independent arthouse genre, and in that regard it's a bit less of a standout; nonetheless, excellent for those with such an interest.