Chilli Laugh Story

Chilli Laugh Story (Chinese: 闔家辣) is a 2022 Hong Kong comedy film co-written and directed by Coba Cheng, a debutant director. An amusing and sometimes unexpectedly poignant comedy starring Ronald Cheng, Gigi Leung, Edan Lui, and Sandra Ng, it was initially scheduled to release on 1 February 2022, the first day of Lunar New Year, but it was postponed due to COVID-19 and finally released on 14 July 2022.[4][5]

Chilli Laugh Story
Promotional poster
Traditional Chinese闔家辣
Simplified Chinese阖家辣
Literal meaningFamily Friendly
Hanyu PinyinHé jiā là
Directed byCoba Cheng
Written by
Produced bySandra Ng
Starring
Cinematography
  • Jason Kwan Chi-Yiu
  • Alan Gu Wei-Lin
Edited by
  • Curran Pang Ching-Hay
  • Azrael Chung Wai-Chiu
  • Alvin Wu Sin-Hong
Music by
  • Original Score Supervisor:
  • Lincoln Lo Kin
Production
companies
  • One Cool Film Production
  • Treasure Island Production Co., Ltd.
  • Media Asia Film
  • We Production Co.
Distributed byContinental Film Distribution
Release date
  • 14 July 2022 (2022-07-14)
Running time
94 minutes
CountryHong Kong
LanguageCantonese
BudgetHK$11.34 million (US$1.46 million)[1]
Box officeest. HK$32.61 million (US$4.2 million)[2][3]

The film was invited to 21st New York Asian Film Festival,[6] where it had its international premiere on 20 July and won NYAFF Audience Award.[7]

Produced with a budget of HK$11.34 million (US$1.46 million), the film has grossed HK$32.61 million (US$4.2 million) as of 25 September 2022 and currently it is the 4th highest-grossing, Hong Kong-produced film of 2022.[2]

Synopsis

Enterprising college student and music promoter Coba is working from home like everyone else during the pandemic. The would-be comforts of his situation are disrupted by the constant bickering of his eccentric parents (Ronald Cheng and Gigi Leung). After his paying gig suddenly dries up, Coba happens upon an ingenious get-rich-quick scheme that should also distract mom and dad: bottle and sell his mom’s insanely tasty old-school chili sauce. But online demand unexpectedly outpaces supply, and the whole family must band together to continue cornering the market. Their non-stop slapstick shenanigans spice up the classic Chinese New Year comedy formula, producing a brilliant blend of wacky characters and family team-building that is as scrumptiously mouth-watering as the chili sauce recipe itself. (From New York Asian Film Festival)[8]

Cast
  • Edan Lui as Cheung Pak Hin/Coba (張柏軒), main protagonist
  • Sandra Ng as Wendy Cheung Wai Yi (張惠儀), Coba's aunt
  • Gigi Leung as Rita Chan Mei Jing (陳美貞), Coba's mother
  • Ronald Cheng as Alan Cheung Kwok Lun (張國倫), Coba's father
  • Angela Yuen as Sam Li Kai Wai (李家慧), Coba's girlfriend
  • Tony Wu Tsz-Tung as Wendy's son
  • Helen Tam as Wendy's older sister
  • Louis Koo as Ah Sun (cameo)
  • Dee Ho as a friend/middle school classmate of Coba's
  • Locker Lam Ka-Hei as a friend/middle school classmate of Coba's
  • Matt Chow as a food expert
  • Carl Ng as Arnold, the owner of SugerMama
  • Yanny Chan as Arnold's secretary
  • Lo Hoi-Pang as a hot dog shop owner

Additionally, Louis Koo cameos as Ah Sun, * Kenny Wong cameos as KK, along with Leung Yip, Denis Kwok, and Poki Ng as Dee Ho's fellow members from the boyband Error appearing as a group of youngsters at the hot dog shop. Hui Yin and So Chi Ho, members of the YouTube skit group Trial and Error also make a cameo appearance as the youngsters at the hot dog shop.

Release

The film initially scheduled to release on 1 February 2022 was postponed due to COVID 19 and finally released on 14 July 2022. At the same time, it was invited at the 21st New York Asian Film Festival, where it was screened at Lincoln center on July 20 for its International Premiere, and won the Audience Award.[6][9] The film was also invited to the 26th Fantasia International Film Festival and was screened on July 31, 2022.[10][11][12] Trinity Cine Asia acquired rights for distribution of the film in the United Kingdom and North America. It was released theatrically in the United Kingdom on 15 July and in the United States and Canada on 22 July.[13]

Reception

Box office

The film held 92 priority screenings in Hong Kong from 1 July to 3 July 2022, and most of the screenings were sold out, with a box office collection of HK$1.15 million.[14]

As of 25 September 2022 the film is the 4th highest-grossing, Hong Kong-produced film released in the year 2022 with gross of HK$32,610,384.[2]

Critical response

Edmund Lee of the South China Morning Post rated the film with 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Anyone seeking a window on life for the past two years in post-protest and mid-pandemic Hong Kong – a vaguely depressing experience – could do worse than watch Chilli Laugh Story.".[4] Leslie Felperin of The Guardian rated the film with 3 stars out of 5 and wrote, "The story sort of lollops along like a big friendly dog, following a predictable trajectory of success and failure."[15]

Accolades
Year Award Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
2022 21st New York Asian Film Festival Audience Award Chilli Laugh Story Won [7]
2023 Hong Kong Film Award Best New Performer Edan Lui Nominated [16][17]

References
  1. "電影發展基金融資製作電影《闔家辣》本地首映" [Film Development Fund Financing to Produce the Local Premiere of the Film "Family Spicy"]. Info.gov.hk (in Chinese). 11 July 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  2. "7月25日－7月31日票房紀錄" [Hong Kong Weekly Box Office: 19 - 25 September 2022 Box Office]. HKTDC (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  3. "Chilli Laugh Story". Box Office Mojo. IMDb.
  4. Edmund Lee (12 July 2022). "Review — Chilli Laugh Story movie review: Mirror's Edan Lui leads Lunar New Year comedy that mixes family antics, naughty jokes and social commentary". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  5. Mo Kuangyao (28 May 2022). "闔家辣 — Edan主演史上首部暑期賀歲片 胡子彤：票房唔係靠我哋原文網址: 闔家辣" [Family friendly — Edan starring in the first summer Chinese New Year film in history, Hu Tong: The box office doesn't depend on us]. Hong Kong 01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  6. Michael Rosser (30 June 2022). "New York Asian Film Festival reveals Screen honourees and full line-up". Screen Daily. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  7. Ellie Calnan (2 August 2022). "'Perhaps Love', 'Chilli Laugh Story' win NYAFF audience awards". Screen Daily. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  8. "New York Asian Film Festival — Chilli Laugh Story — 闔家辣". NYAFF. 1 July 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  9. "New York Asian Film Festival 2022, Chilli Laugh Story - 闔家辣". Film at Lincoln Center. 12 July 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  10. "Canadian premiere, Selection 2022, Chilli Laugh Story". Fantasia Festival. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  11. Angel Melanson (30 June 2022). "26th Fantasia Fest Announces Third And Final Wave". Fangoria Publishing. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  12. "吳君如鄭中基呂爵安新戲《闔家辣》 入圍美加兩大電影節" [Wu Junru, Zheng Zhongji and Lu Jue'an's new play "Hot Family" was shortlisted for two major film festivals in the United States and Canada (12:55)]. Mingpao (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 30 June 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  13. Patrick Frater (6 July 2022). "'Chilli Laugh Story' Hong Kong Work-From-Home Comedy to Release in U.K. and North America (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  14. "《闔家辣》優先場票房達115萬佳績 Edan獲大量「前夫」讚賞" ["Hot Family" first box office hit 1.15 million, Edan won a lot of praise from "ex-husband"]. Headline Daily (頭條日報) (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 4 July 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  15. Felperin, Leslie (17 July 2022). "Chilli Laugh Story review – fun Chinese comedy offering hot sauce hijinks". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  16. Soriano, Jainne (9 February 2023). "Hong Kong Film Awards 2023: Here is the full list of nominees". Lifestyle Asia. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  17. "Nomination List of The 41st Hong Kong Film Awards". Hong Kong Film Awards. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
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