Double Fattiness
Director: David Chiang
Year: 1988
Rating: 7.0
Calling this a warm, sweet family comedy may sound a little strange when you consider that the two main characters die within the first fifteen minutes and that a son tries to court his mother throughout the film – but it really is. Honest. The film is far from overwhelmingly funny, but it is quite touching and the ending might bring a slight lump to your throat.  

Bill Tung and his wife Lydia Shum along with their son Eric Tsang run a pizza parlor in Hong Kong. A real estate agent wants their property and hires Paul Chun Pui to drive them out – through any means necessary. This ranges from cockroaches to intimidation to arson. Chun Pui’s cousin from Canada, Maggie Cheung, has shown up – and both he and Eric Tsang chase after her. Remember how I said that the son tries to court the mother? – this is how that comes about.


The mother Lydia Shum dies of a heart attack, but down in Hell when she is crossing the bridge to go to the other side, it collapses under her formidable weight. So since she can’t cross, she convinces the gatekeeper (Dennis Chan) to allow her to go back on earth. Unfortunately, her body has just been cremated – so she has to possess another dead body. Well, it just so happens our little Magster has just been killed in a bus crash! So Lydia possess her body and comes back to try and enter the family again – but there is one catch – isn’t there always – she can’t tell them who she really is. So she tries to hint in every way possible – but Bill just ignores her and Eric just comes on to her. Kind of creepy in a way. And Maggie is dead or the character is – but she isn’t really – but then she is.
 

It’s a nice role for Maggie – she does her cute thing before she dies  - and then has a wonderful time imitating Lydia Shum in her Maggie body and at one time is even possessed by the male gatekeeper and gets to imitate a male impersonating a female impersonating another female. It’s a delightful performance.
 

Then if that wasn’t confusing enough – a Lydia Shum look alike (played of course by Lydia) – comes by and Bill Tung thinks she is the spirit of his dead wife and chases after her – leaving Maggie (or Lydia) fuming that he is chasing after this fat woman when he could have her. But it’s a comedy  - really – and a very sweet one that is all about the love within a family.