50. Table For Six 2 (Faan hei gong sum 2); movie review

 

TABLE FOR SIX (FAAN HEI GONG SUM 2)

Cert PG

133 mins

BBFC advice: Contains mild sex references, language, violence

They are a bit older than the world's most famous Friends, but it was intended that the pals in Table For Six had a similar vibe to the American sextet.

So, what would happen when their eldest and arguably most famous member, Dayo Wong, would be missing for the sequel?

It transpires that they create mayhem and make the audience laugh without him.

I chortled several times at the madness and misunderstandings between the characters linked by blood or through relationships.

Sunny Chan's Table For Six 2 focuses on a group from Hong Kong who have grabbed the social media spotlight through their various personalities and jobs.

And they are prepared to spin pretty much any yarn to encourage their profile to increase,

Thus, Stephy Tang's Monica agrees to a very elaborate fake marriage proposal from her boyfriend, PR company owner Bernard (Louis Cheung).

Surprisingly, it prompts them to evaluate what they want from their relationship in reality and does the same for his half-brother (Peter Chan) and his girlfriend (Ivana Wong).

Meanwhile, Wong's character, the family's big brother, has gone off on business to Africa, leaving his girlfriend (Min Chen Lin) behind.

The respective misunderstandings are played out in front of very difficult-to-please traditional Hong Kong families and the glare of social media influencers.

The latter causes a particular conundrum because the key players are all keen to attract more followers but, at the same time, risk exposing too much about their private lives.

Indeed, Table For Six 2 shows what can happen when the media is too vigorously courted.

That said, this is a frothy movie with pretty people, plenty of giggles and an inevitability that there will be a conclusion that will satisfactorily tie up the loose ends.

It was a guilty pleasure.

Reasons to watch: Knockabout farce

Reasons to avoid: It will be too silly for some

Laughs: Four:

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 6.5/10

Did you know? The tea ceremony is the most important at a Hong Kong wedding. The bride and groom kneel and serve tea to the bride’s parents and elderly relatives, before doing the same to the groom’s parents and elderly relatives. Inside each teacup, there must be lotus seeds and jujubes (red dates), as they represent prosperity and a blessing for many babies to come.

The final word. Sunny Chan: "In this film, I try to explore what love is and what makes a family. Tying the knot is a common phrase used to congratulate a newly married couple (in Chinese culture) but I also wanted to apply it to the family relationship." SCMP

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