All U Need Is Love
All U Need Is Love (Chinese: 總是有愛在隔離) is a 2021 Hong Kong comedy-drama film directed by Vincent Kok and starring an all-star ensemble cast. The film is a benefit effort for Hong Kong film industry workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic launched by the Hong Kong Performing Artistes Guild and the Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers, and produced by ten major local film companies.[1][2][3]
| All I Need Is Love | |
|---|---|
Film poster | |
| Traditional Chinese | 總是有愛在隔離 |
| Simplified Chinese | 总是有爱在隔离 |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Zǒng Shì Yǒu Ài Zài Gé Lí |
| Jyutping | Zung2 Jau2 Ngoi3 Zoi6 Gaak6 Lei4 |
| Directed by | Vincent Kok |
| Written by | Steven Fung Anselm Chan Kelvin Lee Edmond Wong Huang Haohua Deng Yunxian Mai Jiaxi Luo Jingyin Ou Yingyao |
| Produced by | Raymond Wong Eric Tsang |
| Starring | Louis Koo Tony Leung Eric Tsang Francis Ng Gordon Lam Philip Keung Julian Cheung Louis Cheung Carlos Chan Fiona Sit Alex Fong Jenn Lau Luk Wing Cecilia So Cheung Tat-ming Michael Hui Chin Ka-lok |
Production companies | China Star Entertainment Group Edko Films Emperor Motion Pictures Mandarin Motion Pictures Media Asia Films Mei Ah Film Productions One Cool Film Production Shaw Brothers Pictures International Sun Entertainment Culture Universe Films Distribution |
Release date |
|
| Country | Hong Kong |
| Language | Cantonese |
| Budget | HK$30 million |
| Box office | HK$494,409 |
All U Need Is Love was theatrically released on 22 April 2021.[4]
Plot
During a calm and peaceful afternoon in Hong Kong, the Grande Hotel (格尼酒店) was suddenly suspected to be the source of the COVID-19 outbreak and the Centre for Health Protection has ordered the hotel to be on lockdown while all hotel guests are forced to be quarantined for 14 days to be tested. While the guests are being quarantined in the hotel, it also brings them connections closer as human beings. As they faced through this difficult time together, they also learn to cherish what might be their final moments of spending time with one another.
Cast
- Louis Koo plays the captain of the Epidemic Prevention Operation Unit.
- Tony Leung Ka-fai plays Yam Yan-kau (任因九) (reprising his role from the 2003 film Men Suddenly in Black), a guest at Grande Hotel who is looking for an extraordinary affair.
- Eric Tsang plays Kwok Tin-yau (郭天佑), reprising his role from Men Suddenly in Black, a guest at Grande Hotel who is looking for extraordinary affairs.
- Francis Ng, Gordon Lam and Alex Fong play a trio of COVID-19 diagnosed carriers.
- Michael Hui plays the president of Grande Hotel.
- Kent Cheng and Mary Hon play a married couple.
- Candice Yu plays Kwok Tin-yau's wife.
- Fiona Sit plays a service staff of Grande Hotel who is a single mother.
- Law Lan and Alex Lam play service staffs of Grande Hotel.
- Philip Keung, Annie Liu and Ken Lo play guests at Grande Hotel.
- Yuen Qiu plays a guest at Grande Hotel, parodying her role from the 2004 film Kung Fu Hustle.
- Michael Ning plays a guest at Grande Hotel, parodying his role from the 2015 film Port of Call.
- Chrissie Chau plays a guest at Grande Hotel who is a bodybuilder who has a phobia of men.
- Julian Cheung plays Chai-yau (柴油), a guest at Grande Hotel who is a triad leader.
- Louis Cheung plays Lui Kung (雷公), a guest at Grande Hotel who is a triad leader and Chai-yau's rival.
- Larine Tang play a Japanese actress who is a guest at Grande Hotel
- Cecilia So plays Chu-chu (豬豬), a bride-to-be who is planning to hold her wedding at Grande Hotel.
- Luk Wing plays Chu-chu's fiance.
- Carlos Chan plays the manager of Grande Hotel.
- Chin Ka-lok plays the head of security of Grande Hotel who is also the president's assistant.
- Ben Yuen
- Cheung Tat-ming as Chu-chu's father.
- Sam Lee plays the security manager of Grande Hotel.
- Jenn Lau
- Ken Wong
- Jacky Cai plays a guest at Grande Hotel who is an office lady.
- Max Cheung
- Gregory Charles Rivers
- Stephanie Che
- Pinky Cheung
- Dough-Boy
- Ng Siu-hin
- Gladys Li plays a chef at Grande Hotel.
- Ng Wing-sze
- Fung Min-hang plays the assistant of Grande Hotel's president.
- Samuel Pang
- June Lam
- Jackie Chan plays the supervisor of the Pandemic Task Force.
Theme song
The film's theme song, If Love Is in Your Heart (如果心裡是愛), is composed by Lowell Lo with lyrics written by Susan Tong and is collaboratively sung by Andy Lau, Jacky Cheung, Hacken Lee, Joey Yung, Grasshopper, William So, Edmond Leung, Pakho Chau, Fiona Sit, Joyce Cheng, Stephy Tang, Stephanie Cheng, Shiga Lin and Deep Ng.
Production
The film was launched by the Hong Kong Performing Artistes Guild and the Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers as a benefit project for local film industry workers, with president of both associate bodies Louis Koo along with Eric Tsang contacting 10 of Hong Kong's major film companies, which include Koo's One Cool Film Production, China Star Entertainment Group, Edko Films, Emperor Motion Pictures, Mandarin Motion Pictures, Media Asia Films, Mei Ah Film Productions, Shaw Brothers Pictures International, Sun Entertainment Culture and Universe Films Distribution, to produce the film, with each company providing a fund of HK$3 million, while also applying for a fund of HK$9 million from the Hong Kong Film Development Council, for a total budget of HK$39 million for the film. However, the HK Film Development Council only approved 70% of HK$9 million, so Koo and Raymond Wong gave up the application and hoped to ask each film company for an extra HK$900,000 of funding, but was unsuccessful in doing so, with the final budget of the film being HK$30 million, and caused the film's post-production process being at stalemate at one point.[5]
Filming
Principal photography for All U Need Is Love took place from May to June 2020, mainly taking place at Ocean Park's Marriott Hotel, which was used as the film's fictional central setting, Grande Hotel, with three units filming simultaneously. Due to certain actors wearing protective clothing during filming, media outlets were misled to believe that a real outbreak occurred at the amusement park.[6]
Release
All U Need Is Love was originally planned for a summer release at around July to August 2020, but was postponed due to post-production difficulties.[5] The film was theatrically released in Hong Kong on 22 April 2021.[4]
Reception
Box office
In Hong Kong, the film debuted at No. 9 on its opening weekend, grossed HK$494,409 during its first four days of release.[7]
Critical reception
Lim Lian-yu of Yahoo! Singapore gave the film a score of 3/5 stars and describes its star-studded cast as its most interesting element but also notes the abundance of actors cannot be fully utilised.[8] Edmund Lee of the South China Morning Post gave the film a score of 2.5/5 stars and describes it as an "uninspiring movie" but "there is still some mindless fun to be had".[9] Jeanmarie Tan of The New Paper gave the film a score of 1.5/5 and criticizes its dated slapstick, sexual humor and overacting.[10]
References
- ^ "谷德昭執導抗疫片《總是有愛在隔離》 吳鎮宇隔離箱拍戲超辛苦".
- ^ "Mandarin and One Cool Pictures Fly Hong Kong Flag at Busan's Virtual Market". 27 October 2020.
- ^ "Watch Jackie Chan, Louis Koo, Francis Ng and Tony Leung Ka Fai in the New Trailer for Vincent Kok's 'All U Need is Love'".
- ^ a b "總是有愛在隔離 - WMOOV電影".
- ^ a b "傳古天樂再向電影公司籌旗 抗疫片上映延期".
- ^ "【總是有愛在隔離】古天樂慈善籌款片演員名單曝光 林建岳借出海洋公園萬豪酒店拍攝".
- ^ "香港週末◆票房收入:2021年 第 17 週04-22~04-25".
- ^ "All U Need Is Love review: A light-hearted comedy to temper the COVID-19 disaster".
- ^ Lee, Edmund (22 April 2021). "All U Need Is Love movie review: Hong Kong film industry unites for ensemble comedy with a coronavirus pandemic-theme". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
- ^ "Movie review: All U Need Is Love". 23 April 2021.
External links
- All U Need Is Love at the Hong Kong Movie DataBase
- All U Need Is Love at IMDb
- 總有愛在隔離 All U Need Is Love on Facebook