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RATING:  
SINGAPORE - "Happy Go Lucky" tells the story of foot reflexologist Fann Wong, who is considered a jinx by her gambler dad (Richard Low) and bully of a sister (Patricia Mok) simply because she was born at an inauspicious time. Of course she turns out to have a lucky streak that nobody knows about.
Local Chinese movies tend to fall into two categories: The loud, brash comedy or the horror/action thriller.
Helmed by first-time director Harry Yap, this is neither, although it's got everything a movie needs: Laughs, family melodrama, a moral-of-the-story, bad guy comeuppance and lessons learned.
But there are so many elements and asides that the characters are dangerously close to being caricatures. The situations aren't as intense as they could be and you never really feel fully engaged.
Luckily, the actors are all competent enough to keep this movie moving along.
Wong's comedic timing is excellent, and Mok and Low both bring enough pathos to their characters.
Interestingly, one can't help wondering if the movie wouldn't have made a great indie film if the big-name cast didn't get involved. Then again, would anybody watch it?
Thanks for the box-office draw, Fann.
- TODAY/ar
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