Fat Choi Spirit
Encyclopedia
Fat Choi Spirit is a 2002
Hong Kong
comedy film
produced and directed by Johnnie To
and Wai Ka-Fai
, and starring Andy Lau
, Gigi Leung
, Louis Koo
, Cherrie In
and Lau Ching-Wan
.
The film is a comedy, falling into the peculiar Hong Kong
genre of Mahjong films, and was released during the Lunar New Year
of 2002.
player. Thrown out of the house by his mother and ignored by his more academically gifted and successful younger brother, Louis, he had a hard time running away from debt collectors until one day he met a young girl named Gigi after a run-in with some of the debt collectors' men. Gigi started out as a thief, but because she fell for him and gave him immense luck, Andy gained great success with his extreme good luck in mahjong games and became very rich. However he refused to marry Gigi because she, though a nice woman when with him, was in reality quite a sore loser who threw temper tantrums while on the verge of losing mahjong games. She could not understand that he couldn't stand the way she behaved. As Andy said, her behaviour could be revealed by just playing a game of mahjong where when she lost, she would throw the tables. He promised her that he would marry her if she could play a game of mahjong without such a bad temper. She couldn't and so he couldn't marry her though he loved her. In the meantime, Andy found his mother who was now suffering from Alzheimer's disease and his brother who faced bankruptcy and moved in with Andy, who coincidentally lived in a bungalow. Not wanting to lose out in finding a job, Louis who had excellent luck in Mahjong but zero skill, was conned out of all his money and even his clothes by a skilled, yet devious mahjong player, Sean, portrayed by Lau Ching-wan. But being a kind hearted simpleton, a woman on the con team, (Cherrie
) fell for him and decided to mend her ways.
In the meantime, Gigi who was very disappointed with Andy's refusal to marry her, went with the bad crowd, in the form of mahjong con men led by Lau Ching-wan. Andy who was cursed by Gigi lost his winning streak and instead found a living as a taxi driver and moved into public housing. Being ever optimistic, he did not complain. However, not wanting Gigi to fall into the con men's trap, he played a game of mahjong with Sean and lost terribly. But Gigi was touched by his actions and went back to him, promising she will return a better woman. But before she left, she gave Andy a blessing and from there on, Andy's winning streak came back. Louis who had created a mahjong computer game with his new girlfriend (Cherrie), received word that there would be a Mahjong tournament sponsored by his game. The ever optimistic Andy decided to join the contest which saw him competing against Sean. Before the tournament began, he discovered that Gigi had returned to her old job as a stewardess and gave him a lot of good fortune items from around the world. During the tournament, Andy was able to secure a seat in the final match which also included Sean, Sean's father and a henchman. Andy easily won the match but was then confronted by Sean to have a rematch. Andy agreed and the two of them squared off. Before the match could end, Andy gave up and gave the prize to Sean. Sean, surprised at what had happened, decided to look at Andy's hand, which was a major breakthrough set. Sean realized all his mistakes and decided to learn from Andy. Andy then regained all his money and started a Mahjong school by the sea. He eventually got married with Gigi.
Hong Kong films of 2002
A list of films produced in Hong Kong in 2002:.-2002:-External links:* * Hong Kong films of 2002 at...
Hong Kong
Cinema of Hong Kong
The cinema of Hong Kong is one of the three major threads in the history of Chinese language cinema, alongside the cinema of China, and the cinema of Taiwan...
comedy film
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...
produced and directed by Johnnie To
Johnnie To
Johnnie To Kei-Fung, born 22 April 1955, is a Hong Kong film director and producer. Popular in his native Hong Kong, To has also found acclaim overseas...
and Wai Ka-Fai
Wai Ka-Fai
Wai Ka-Fai is a Hong Kong writer, filmmaker, producer and former TV director and producer.Wai is best known for his frequent collaborations with Johnnie To, another former TV turned film director and producer. In 1996, they formed Milkyway Image, which is now one of the most successful independent...
, and starring Andy Lau
Andy Lau
Andy Lau MH, JP is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer, actor, and film producer. Lau has been one of Hong Kong's most commercially successful film actors since the mid-1980s, performing in more than 160 films while maintaining a successful singing career at the same time...
, Gigi Leung
Gigi Leung
Gigi Leung Wing-kei is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer and actress.-Biography:Given the name Leung Bik-Zi at birth, at the age of 7 her mother changed her name changed to 'Wing-Kei' for superstitious reasons; as a child, Leung suffered from frequent asthma attacks and it was believed a change of name...
, Louis Koo
Louis Koo
Louis Koo is a Hong Kong actor. He was once a notable local television series actor, winning TVB's Best Actor award in 1999 for Detective Investigation Files IV. In recent years, he has focused on film...
, Cherrie In
Cherrie Ying
Ting Man , better known as Cherrie Ying or Ying Choi-yi, is a Hong Kong actress. She moved to New York City at a young age, and later moved to Hong Kong...
and Lau Ching-Wan
Lau Ching-Wan
Sean Lau Ching-Wan is a Hong Kong Film Award–winning and Golden Bauhinia Award–winning film and former television actor based in Hong Kong.Lau was born in Hong Kong in 1964. He joined the TVB acting classes in 1983 and made his first appearance on TV the following year with TV drama Draw Out the...
.
The film is a comedy, falling into the peculiar Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
genre of Mahjong films, and was released during the 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...
of 2002.
Plot
Andy is an extremely compulsive MahjongMahjong
Mahjong, sometimes spelled Mah Jongg, is a game that originated in China, commonly played by four players...
player. Thrown out of the house by his mother and ignored by his more academically gifted and successful younger brother, Louis, he had a hard time running away from debt collectors until one day he met a young girl named Gigi after a run-in with some of the debt collectors' men. Gigi started out as a thief, but because she fell for him and gave him immense luck, Andy gained great success with his extreme good luck in mahjong games and became very rich. However he refused to marry Gigi because she, though a nice woman when with him, was in reality quite a sore loser who threw temper tantrums while on the verge of losing mahjong games. She could not understand that he couldn't stand the way she behaved. As Andy said, her behaviour could be revealed by just playing a game of mahjong where when she lost, she would throw the tables. He promised her that he would marry her if she could play a game of mahjong without such a bad temper. She couldn't and so he couldn't marry her though he loved her. In the meantime, Andy found his mother who was now suffering from Alzheimer's disease and his brother who faced bankruptcy and moved in with Andy, who coincidentally lived in a bungalow. Not wanting to lose out in finding a job, Louis who had excellent luck in Mahjong but zero skill, was conned out of all his money and even his clothes by a skilled, yet devious mahjong player, Sean, portrayed by Lau Ching-wan. But being a kind hearted simpleton, a woman on the con team, (Cherrie
Cherrie Ying
Ting Man , better known as Cherrie Ying or Ying Choi-yi, is a Hong Kong actress. She moved to New York City at a young age, and later moved to Hong Kong...
) fell for him and decided to mend her ways.
In the meantime, Gigi who was very disappointed with Andy's refusal to marry her, went with the bad crowd, in the form of mahjong con men led by Lau Ching-wan. Andy who was cursed by Gigi lost his winning streak and instead found a living as a taxi driver and moved into public housing. Being ever optimistic, he did not complain. However, not wanting Gigi to fall into the con men's trap, he played a game of mahjong with Sean and lost terribly. But Gigi was touched by his actions and went back to him, promising she will return a better woman. But before she left, she gave Andy a blessing and from there on, Andy's winning streak came back. Louis who had created a mahjong computer game with his new girlfriend (Cherrie), received word that there would be a Mahjong tournament sponsored by his game. The ever optimistic Andy decided to join the contest which saw him competing against Sean. Before the tournament began, he discovered that Gigi had returned to her old job as a stewardess and gave him a lot of good fortune items from around the world. During the tournament, Andy was able to secure a seat in the final match which also included Sean, Sean's father and a henchman. Andy easily won the match but was then confronted by Sean to have a rematch. Andy agreed and the two of them squared off. Before the match could end, Andy gave up and gave the prize to Sean. Sean, surprised at what had happened, decided to look at Andy's hand, which was a major breakthrough set. Sean realized all his mistakes and decided to learn from Andy. Andy then regained all his money and started a Mahjong school by the sea. He eventually got married with Gigi.
Cast
- Andy LauAndy LauAndy Lau MH, JP is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer, actor, and film producer. Lau has been one of Hong Kong's most commercially successful film actors since the mid-1980s, performing in more than 160 films while maintaining a successful singing career at the same time...
– Andy - Gigi LeungGigi LeungGigi Leung Wing-kei is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer and actress.-Biography:Given the name Leung Bik-Zi at birth, at the age of 7 her mother changed her name changed to 'Wing-Kei' for superstitious reasons; as a child, Leung suffered from frequent asthma attacks and it was believed a change of name...
– Gigi - Lau Ching-WanLau Ching-WanSean Lau Ching-Wan is a Hong Kong Film Award–winning and Golden Bauhinia Award–winning film and former television actor based in Hong Kong.Lau was born in Hong Kong in 1964. He joined the TVB acting classes in 1983 and made his first appearance on TV the following year with TV drama Draw Out the...
– Ching Wan (Sean) - Louis KooLouis KooLouis Koo is a Hong Kong actor. He was once a notable local television series actor, winning TVB's Best Actor award in 1999 for Detective Investigation Files IV. In recent years, he has focused on film...
– Louis - Cherrie YingCherrie YingTing Man , better known as Cherrie Ying or Ying Choi-yi, is a Hong Kong actress. She moved to New York City at a young age, and later moved to Hong Kong...
– Cherrie - Wong Tin-lamWong Tin-LamWong Tin-Lam was a Chinese screenwriter, producer, director, and actor, who has contributed a lot to the Hong Kong cinema scene with a career spanning six decades...
– Ching Wan's Father - Bonnie Wong Man-Wai – Andy and Louis's Mother
- Angela TongAngela TongAngela Tong, born 30 June 1975 in Montreal, Canada with family roots in Shunde, Guangdong, China, is a Hong Kong actress and was Miss Chinese Montreal 1995. She went to Concordia University.-Pageant life:...
- Lung Tin Sang
- Four Tse Liu Shut
- Matt ChowMatt ChowMatthew "Matt" Chow Hoi-Kwong is a Hong Kong screenwriter, director, actor and producer. He is best known for his romantic comedy films, and has served as a screenwriter for filmmakers Peter Chan, Johnnie To, Wai Ka-Fai, and Joe Ma.-Career:...