bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Edmund Lee

3.5/5 stars
Working-class despair, relationship troubles and long-buried family secrets vie for attention in Once in a Blue Moon, writer-director Andy Lo Yiu-fai’s long-awaited follow-up to his exquisite 2016 film Happiness.
Depicting the prosaic concerns of two adult children in a single-parent family in Hong Kong during the Covid-19 pandemic, Lo’s bittersweet film is a character-driven drama that is heavy on feelings. It is thoughtful and endearing, and prefers minor developments to major dramatic conflict.
The film begins with an old photo as its protagonist, Mei-chen (Gladys Li Ching-kwan in her most complete performance yet), explains in a voice-over that it is the first and last time she was pictured in a family portrait alongside her father, who left the household before she turned one and never returned.


All her life she has regretted not having had the opportunity to get to know her father, although she faces more immediate problems in the present.
Mei-chen, who is inexperienced in romance, has just started using a dating app at the urging of her happy-go-lucky cousin (Amy Tang Lai-ying), but her first date produces not a match but an awkward trip to a love motel, followed by plenty of unanswered texts and even more question marks in her head.
Life is not getting any easier in her latest dead-end job at a convenience store, either; the creepy, predatory manager (Kyle Wong Kai-ho) proves to be toxic masculinity personified right away.

Meanwhile, Mei-chen’s older brother, Floyd (Peter Chan Charm-man), is struggling to come to terms with the crumbling of his marriage to Wing (Li Sum-ling of Cantopop girl group Collar, in her film debut), who seeks a divorce and is already seeing someone else.
Floyd has been living alone in the unit in an industrial building that houses his aquarium business for the past two years, but this sanctuary is repeatedly breached by an overly friendly next-door neighbour (Yeung Wai-lun), who brings new perspectives, as well as moments of rueful humour, to the miserable Floyd.
The siblings were brought up without a moral centre – their loving and privately remorseful mother (Loletta Lee Lai-chun) might be the one who caused the family break-up – and yet their experiences as underachievers in life make the film all the more heartwarming.

By turns sad and hopeful, Once in a Blue Moon offers a mostly engaging look at adulthood in all its harsh glory. Lo is non-judgmental to a fault when it comes to his protagonists; all he does, figuratively, is watch them fall, then belatedly offer them a friendly hand.
Want more articles like this? Follow SCMP Film on Facebook


The Hong Kong stuntman reviving classic kung fu

Was remaking classic Hong Kong films like Police Story, A Better Tomorrow a good idea?

How Hong Kong actor Louis Cheung emerged from the shadow of his singer wife Kay Tse

The Last Dance movie review: Dayo Wong, Michael Hui impress in exquisite funeral drama

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Once in a Blue Moon movie review: Gladys Li, Peter Chan confront life’s disappointments

Gladys Li as Mei-chan in a still from Once in a Blue Moon.

Gladys Li as Mei-chan and Loletta Lee as her mother (left) in a still from Once in a Blue Moon (category IIB, Cantonese), directed by Andy Lo. Peter Chan co-stars.

Li Sum-ling, of girl band Collar, as Wing in a still from Once in a Blue Moon. 

Peter Chan as Floyd (right) and Yeung Wai-lun as his neighbour in a still from Once in a Blue Moon.

Love Lies movie review: Sandra Ng, Michael Cheung in online dating scam comedy drama

Sandra Ng as doctor Veronica Yu and Michael Cheung as scam artist Joe Lee in a still from Love Lies (category I; Cantonese), directed by Ho Miu-ki.

Michael Cheung (centre) in the office of an online dating scam gang in Love Lies.

Michael Cheung and Stephy Tang in a still from Love Lies.

The Unwavering Brotherhood movie review: Hong Kong gangster drama is familiar but fun

Mark Cheng in a still from The Unwavering Brotherhood.

(From left) Louis Cheung, Bosco Wong and Carlos Chan in a still from The Unwavering Brotherhood (category III; Cantonese), directed by Terry Ng.

Mark Cheng as triad faction leader Fa Kam in a still from The Unwavering Brotherhood.

Michael Tao as Kwan in a still from The Unwavering Brotherhood.

Customs Frontline movie review: Nicholas Tse is a one-man army in this ludicrous actioner

Nicholas Tse as a Hong Kong customs officer in a still from Customs Frontline (category IIB; Cantonese), directed by Herman Yau. Jacky Cheung and Karena Lam co-star.

Jacky Cheung as customs officer Nam in a still from Customs Frontline.

Karena Lam as Athena in a still from Customs Frontline.

Once Upon a Time in HKDSE movie review: Hong Kong public exam stress wistfully explored

Tang Ngai-hong (left) and Hui Yin in a still from Once Upon a Time in HKDSE.

Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination candidates Tang Ngai-hong (front) and Hui Yin in a still from Once Upon a Time in HKDSE (category: IIB or IIA, Cantonese) directed by Leung Yik-ho.



Star tutor Jayden Lam Yat-yan, aka YY Lam, in a still from Once Upon a Time in HKDSE.

Hui and his mother in a still from Once Upon a Time in HKDSE.

Crisis Negotiators movie review: Lau Ching-wan, Francis Ng in so-so The Negotiator remake

Lau Ching-wan as police inspector Cheuk Man-wai in a still from Crisis Negotiators.

Lau Ching-wan as police inspector Cheuk Man-wai in a still from Crisis Negotiators (category IIB, Cantonese), directed by Herman Yau. Francis Ng co-stars.


Francis Ng as social worker and former police negotiator Tse Ka-chun in a still from Crisis Negotiators.

Lifestyle

Entertainment

Culture

Film & TV

Happiness director Andy Lo delivers an emotional, endearing and bittersweet family drama set in Hong Kong during the Covid-19 pandemic


Happiness director Andy Lo delivers an emotional, endearing and bittersweet family drama set in Hong Kong during the Covid-19 pandemic.


Chinese language cinema

Asian cinema

Film reviews

Cinema

Hong Kong cinema

Asian cinema: Chinese films

Fame and celebrity

Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Hong Kong culture

Hong Kong entertainment

What to do in Hong Kong

An assessment or critique of a service, product or creative endeavour.  Film reviews, restaurant reviews, reviews of art exhibitions. (Eg. Crazy Rich Asians: an important film, yes, but a good one?)


Review

Review | Once in a Blue Moon movie review: Gladys Li, Peter Chan confront life’s disappointments

Happiness director Andy Lo delivers an emotional, endearing and bittersweet family drama set in Hong Kong during the Covid-19 pandemic