All's Well, Ends Well
Encyclopedia
All's Well, Ends Well is a 1992 Hong Kong comedy film
directed by Clifton Ko
. The film stars Stephen Chow
with Maggie Cheung
, Leslie Cheung
, Raymond Wong, Sandra Ng
, and Teresa Mo
.
All's Well, Ends Well was a Lunar New Year
film, where a film's release was timed to coincide with the larger movie audience at that time of year. The movie is also one of Stephen Chow
's trademark 'mo lei tau
' films of little sense but lots of good-natured humor, and is still considered to be a cult classic
by most Hong Kong audiences.
The film was followed by five sequel
s:
Moon is eldest brother and head of the family. The film begins with the celebration of his 7th anniversary wedding with Tai Sou, which celebration he deserts, preferring instead the company of his mistress (Sheila Chan). He turns up at home with her later, forcing his wife (whom he calls 'hag') to leave the house in dismay. Although she is very devoted to her husband and tolerates him for all his misbehaviors, her tolerance stops short of accepting his mistress openly in the family home.
So (Leslie Cheung) is an effeminate floral arranger and lecturer at an art school, who is good at cooking and enjoys women's hobbies. His second cousin Mo-Seung comes to his house on that same evening, and entirely devours an elaborate gourmet banquet which So had intended as a gift for Tai-Sou on her otherwise disastrous wedding anniversary. From that day on, So and Mo-Seung are constantly at loggerheads over trivial issues, insulting each other with vulgar metaphors during a mahjong
game session, apparently irreconcilable.
Foon is a local radio DJ who flirts shamelessly while on air and is well-known among his legion of female fans for his impressive kissing technique. Holli-yuk (Maggie Cheung) calls him on air one day and arranges a date with him. She is an avid Hollywood movie lover who enjoys re-enacting particular love-scenes from movies. She is convinced that Foon shares her romantic outlook and they soon become lovers. Foon, however, is a notorious playboy not eager to settle down. Predictably, Holli-yuk catches him in an act of infidelity. After a freak accident leaves Foon suffering from a mildly debilitating mental illness, Holli-yuk offers to become a nurse for him. Taking advantage of her role as his nurturer, she gleefully devises methods to punish him for his callous behaviour.
The brothers' dilemmas are later resolved in similarly titled sequel films. Each story concludes on a cheeky and high-spirited note.
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
directed by Clifton Ko
Clifton Ko
-Filmography as director:-External links:* *...
. The film stars Stephen Chow
Stephen Chow
Stephen Chow Sing-Chi is a Hong Kong actor, comedian, screenwriter, film director and producer.- Professional career :Stephen Chow began as a temporary actor for TVB. He entered TVB in early 1980s, and was trained there, although he had few opportunities to appear in films. Chow graduated from...
with Maggie Cheung
Maggie Cheung
Maggie Cheung Man yuk is a Chinese actress from Hong Kong. Raised in England and Hong Kong, she has over 70 films to her credit since starting her career in 1983...
, Leslie Cheung
Leslie Cheung
Leslie Cheung Kwok-Wing , nicknamed elder brother , was a film actor and musician from Hong Kong. Cheung was considered as "one of the founding fathers of Cantopop", and "combining a hugely successful film and music career".In 2000, Cheung was named Asian Biggest Superstar by China Central...
, Raymond Wong, Sandra Ng
Sandra Ng
Sandra Ng Kwan-yu is a Hong Kong film and television actress.-Biography:The daughter of Ng Kam-chuen, Ng was born in Hong Kong, where she attended St. Stephen's Girls' College. Encouraged by her parents, she began her entertainment career at the age of 16. She is most known through her comic...
, and Teresa Mo
Teresa Mo
Teresa Mo Sun-kwan is a Hong Kong actress. She started her career in 1970s, and joined TVB in 1981. She became famous for being cast in The Justice of Life, which was based on Stephen Chow's works...
.
All's Well, Ends Well was a Lunar New Year
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year – often called Chinese Lunar New Year although it actually is lunisolar – is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is an all East and South-East-Asia celebration...
film, where a film's release was timed to coincide with the larger movie audience at that time of year. The movie is also one of Stephen Chow
Stephen Chow
Stephen Chow Sing-Chi is a Hong Kong actor, comedian, screenwriter, film director and producer.- Professional career :Stephen Chow began as a temporary actor for TVB. He entered TVB in early 1980s, and was trained there, although he had few opportunities to appear in films. Chow graduated from...
's trademark 'mo lei tau
Mo lei tau
Mo lei tau is a name given to a type of humour originating from Hong Kong during the late 20th century. It is a phenomenon which has grown largely from its presentation in modern film media. Its humour arises from the complex interplay of cultural subtleties significant in Hong Kong...
' films of little sense but lots of good-natured humor, and is still considered to be a cult classic
Cult film
A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a highly devoted but specific group of fans. Often, cult movies have failed to achieve fame outside the small fanbases; however, there have been exceptions that have managed to gain fame among mainstream audiences...
by most Hong Kong audiences.
The film was followed by five sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
s:
- All's Well, Ends Well TooAll's Well, Ends Well TooAll's Well, Ends Well Too is a 1993 Hong Kong comedy film directed by Clifton Ko, and released as comedy fare as is the usual custom to entertain movie-goers on the Lunar New Year celebrations...
or Hua tian xi shi (1993) - All's Well, Ends Well 1997All's Well, Ends Well 1997All's Well, Ends Well 1997 is a 1997 Hong Kong comedy film directed by Alfred Cheung, starring Stephen Chow, Raymond Wong and Francis Ng.-Cast and roles:* Stephen Chow - Lo Kung* Raymond Wong - Lo Leung* Leslie Cheung - Youngest brother...
or 97 Jia You Xi Shi (1997) - All's Well, Ends Well 2009All's Well, Ends Well 2009All's Well, Ends Well 2009 is a 2009 Hong Kong romantic comedy film directed by Vincent Kok. It is the fourth instalment in the All's Well, Ends Well film series, the previous film being All's Well, Ends Well 1997....
(2009) - All's Well, Ends Well 2010All's Well, Ends Well 2010All's Well, Ends Well 2010 is the fifth installment of the All's Well, Ends Well series released during China's lunar holiday seasons. Directed by Raymond Wong and Herman Yau, it was released to cinemas in Hong Kong on February 11, 2010.-Plot:...
(2010) - All's Well, Ends Well 2011All's Well, Ends Well 2011All's Well, Ends Well 2011 is a 2011 Hong Kong romantic comedy film directed by Chan Hing-ka and Janet Chun. It is the sixth installment in the All's Well, Ends Well film series, was released on 2 February 2011.-Plot:...
or Jui Keung Hei Si (2011)
Cast and roles
- Stephen ChowStephen ChowStephen Chow Sing-Chi is a Hong Kong actor, comedian, screenwriter, film director and producer.- Professional career :Stephen Chow began as a temporary actor for TVB. He entered TVB in early 1980s, and was trained there, although he had few opportunities to appear in films. Chow graduated from...
- Foon (a womanizer DJ who enjoys flirting while on broadcast) - Maggie CheungMaggie CheungMaggie Cheung Man yuk is a Chinese actress from Hong Kong. Raised in England and Hong Kong, she has over 70 films to her credit since starting her career in 1983...
- Holli-yuk (an art film-lover who dreams of finding her dream guy) - Leslie CheungLeslie CheungLeslie Cheung Kwok-Wing , nicknamed elder brother , was a film actor and musician from Hong Kong. Cheung was considered as "one of the founding fathers of Cantopop", and "combining a hugely successful film and music career".In 2000, Cheung was named Asian Biggest Superstar by China Central...
- So (Foon's effeminate elder brother who is a floral arranger) - Teresa MoTeresa MoTeresa Mo Sun-kwan is a Hong Kong actress. She started her career in 1970s, and joined TVB in 1981. She became famous for being cast in The Justice of Life, which was based on Stephen Chow's works...
- Mo-Seung (So's second cousin and archnemesis turned lover) - Raymond Wong - Moon (Foon's eldest brother who is unfaithful)
- Sandra NgSandra NgSandra Ng Kwan-yu is a Hong Kong film and television actress.-Biography:The daughter of Ng Kam-chuen, Ng was born in Hong Kong, where she attended St. Stephen's Girls' College. Encouraged by her parents, she began her entertainment career at the age of 16. She is most known through her comic...
- Tai Sou 'Big Wife' (Wife of Moon who was divorced and then remarried) - Sheila ChanSheila ChanSheila Chan is a Hong Kong actress.She was elected First Runner-Up and Miss Photogenic at the 1988 Miss Hong Kong Pageant.-Filmography:* All's Well, Ends Well 2009 * Love is not All Around...
- Playing herself, Moon's mistress who was once a beauty pageant winner - Lee Heung-Kam - Grandmother (the brothers' mother)
- Kwan Hoi-Shan - Grandfather (the brothers' father)
- Clifton KoClifton Ko-Filmography as director:-External links:* *...
- Annoyed karaoke patron - Vincent KokVincent KokVincent Kok Tak-Chiu is a Hong Kong actor, scriptwriter and film director.Kok is best known for his frequent collaborations with Stephen Chow, acting and co-writing with him the films Forbidden City Cop, From Beijing with Love and The God of Cookery in addition to producing and co-writing Chow's...
- Japanese businessman - Loletta LeeLoletta LeeLoletta Lee is a Hong Kong actress born on 8 January 1966 in Hong Kong. She later changed her name to Rachel Lee in 2000.She started playing small roles in Hong Kong movies in the 1980s. Her first role as main actress is in Devoted to You...
- Foon's girl - Wong JimWong JimJames Wong Jim was a Cantopop lyricist and writer based primarily in Hong Kong. He was also a well known in Asia as a columnist, actor, film director, screenwriter and talk show hosts. He took part in creative directing positions within the entertainment industry in Hong Kong...
- Wong Kwong Leung - Brother Kwong
Plot details
"All's Well, Ends Well" is a comic romance of 3 hapless brothers, who eventually learn through their amourous exploits and misadventures that love is only won through gradual nurturing, and quickly lost through the quick, dishonest, selfish ways which they have always taken for granted.Moon is eldest brother and head of the family. The film begins with the celebration of his 7th anniversary wedding with Tai Sou, which celebration he deserts, preferring instead the company of his mistress (Sheila Chan). He turns up at home with her later, forcing his wife (whom he calls 'hag') to leave the house in dismay. Although she is very devoted to her husband and tolerates him for all his misbehaviors, her tolerance stops short of accepting his mistress openly in the family home.
So (Leslie Cheung) is an effeminate floral arranger and lecturer at an art school, who is good at cooking and enjoys women's hobbies. His second cousin Mo-Seung comes to his house on that same evening, and entirely devours an elaborate gourmet banquet which So had intended as a gift for Tai-Sou on her otherwise disastrous wedding anniversary. From that day on, So and Mo-Seung are constantly at loggerheads over trivial issues, insulting each other with vulgar metaphors during a mahjong
Mahjong
Mahjong, sometimes spelled Mah Jongg, is a game that originated in China, commonly played by four players...
game session, apparently irreconcilable.
Foon is a local radio DJ who flirts shamelessly while on air and is well-known among his legion of female fans for his impressive kissing technique. Holli-yuk (Maggie Cheung) calls him on air one day and arranges a date with him. She is an avid Hollywood movie lover who enjoys re-enacting particular love-scenes from movies. She is convinced that Foon shares her romantic outlook and they soon become lovers. Foon, however, is a notorious playboy not eager to settle down. Predictably, Holli-yuk catches him in an act of infidelity. After a freak accident leaves Foon suffering from a mildly debilitating mental illness, Holli-yuk offers to become a nurse for him. Taking advantage of her role as his nurturer, she gleefully devises methods to punish him for his callous behaviour.
The brothers' dilemmas are later resolved in similarly titled sequel films. Each story concludes on a cheeky and high-spirited note.