Written by: Alexandra Bentzien
“Chilli Laugh Story” emerged as a stand-out crowd pleaser during yesterday night’s North American premiere screening at the New York Asian Film Festival. As fans of the film and its popular cast crowded the theater lobby to snag a good seat and special giveaway posters, it’s no wonder why this Hong Kong comedy topped franchise sequels “Thor: Love and Thunder” and “Top Gun: Maverick” to become a number-one regional favorite.
The plot is quirky and lovable for those who can take the heat, and relatable for those who can’t: a family of three’s special chili oil recipe becomes an overnight sensation, sparking a viral business accelerating to the pace of quick-witted writing and over-the-top acting that doesn’t back down from announcing: more is definitely more.
“Chilli Laugh Story” is perhaps one of the only films to date skillfully portraying a story set amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic without producing feelings of devastation, exhaustion, or brow-wrinkling discomfort at witnessing the abnormally “new normal.” Instead, being stuck at home sparks a fresh enthusiasm for protagonist Coba (played by Edan Lui, singer and member of musical group Mirror) to follow his dream of becoming an entrepreneur after receiving sub-par marks on his final high school exams. Becoming a self-made CEO and a boss who works on his own terms transforms into a tangible vision Coba pursues with wide-eyed and ambitious gusto after founding his chili oil brand, Chiu Chiu Chiu.
As lead actor Lui’s face dexterously turns from expressing confusion to surprise to mock-outrage (or real frustration) to euphoria before eventually settling into honest gratitude, it’s easy to see why he’s a heartthrob with multiple fan clubs (his New York one delivered a robust appearance). To hear this eager excitement was unavoidable among an audience screaming with delight, and zestfully applauding during an end credits roll call of never-ending Easter eggs featuring some of Hong Kong’s top stars.
Coba’s entrepreneurial spirit ignites a family affair, with his mom Rita (Gigi Leung) cooking up a storm; dad Alan (Donald Cheng) stepping out of his comfort zone to clumsily and humorously complete odds and ends; and Alan’s sister Wendy (Sandra Ng) eventually joining the crew as a Jane Fonda and Olivia Newton John-inspired aunt with a penchant for good-natured (if off-key) musical performance.
While Aunt Wendy tops off comic relief for an already entertaining ensemble, her character also embodies a sense of loneliness as she finds family in the Chiu Chiu Chiu trio in the absence of her own workaholic son.
The lows of familial isolation heightened by pandemic-related social restriction soften the film’s bubbly and quick-witted humor. According to one recent article, a diffused sense of unhappiness affects many throughout the Hong Kong region, but particularly mothers. “Chilli Laugh Story” incorporates commentary on the city’s persistent housing problem through Rita’s lifelong desire of owning a flat, a wish which Coba also internalizes and which provides impetus for his determined success. In one scene, Alan explains how temperamental fluctuation in rent prices forced the family to sell their first flat at nearly 30 percent less than its original price, only to find out its worth has increased twofold from the original in past years.
Rita’s fixation to fulfill her homeowner’s dream spurs contention and nearly threatens to divide both business and family, but at the end of the day, a hopeful – if blithely happy-go-lucky – sense of unity prevails. Togetherness, understanding: these values emerge buoyantly in each of the family comedies shown at this year’s New York Asian Film Festival, and especially in this film.
Whether it’s Aunt Wendy finding connection through her brother’s ragtag family team, to Coba maintaining a playful romance with his flight attendant girlfriend abroad, or squaring-up against a lucrative marketing mogul, the writer-director pair Coba Cheng and Matt Chow deliver a tale that insists on remaining optimistic. Jokes spiced-up by creative wordplay are an obvious treat for Cantonese-speaking audiences, with these moments still special to experience without knowledge of the language in a theater resounding with streams of belly laughs. These must be the joys of being stuck at home, where money matters less than maintaining a good sense of humor and a chin-up attitude.
