Office (2015 Hong Kong film)

Office is a 2015 Hong Kong-Chinese musical comedy-drama film produced and directed by Johnnie To and starring Chow Yun-fat, Sylvia Chang, Eason Chan and Tang Wei. The film is an adaptation of the 2008 play Design for Living, which was created by and starred Chang.[2][3] Office premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival[4] and was theatrically released in China on 2 September 2015 and in Hong Kong in 3D on 24 September 2015.[5][6]

Office
Film poster
Traditional	華麗上班族
Simplified	华丽上班族
Mandarin	Huá Lì Shàng Bān Zú
Cantonese	Waa^4 Lai^6 Seong^2 Baan^1 Zeok^6
Directed by	Johnnie To
Produced by	Johnnie To Sylvia Chang
Screenplay by	Sylvia Chang
Based on	Design for Living by Sylvia Chang
Starring	Chow Yun-fat Sylvia Chang Eason Chan Tang Wei
Music by	Lo Tayu Keith Chan Fai-young
Cinematography	Cheng Siu-Keung
Edited by	David Richardson
Production company	Edko Films Beijing Hairun Pictures Zhejiang Unique Media LeVision Pictures Sun Entertainment Culture Media Asia Films Milkyway Image China Movie Channel IQIYI Motion Pictures Huaxia Film Distribution
Distributed by	Edko Films
Release date	2 September 2015 (2015-09-02) (China) 24 September 2015 (2015-09-24) (Hong Kong)
Running time	117 minutes[1]
Country	Hong Kong China
Language	Cantonese Mandarin

Plot

Billion-dollar company Jones & Sunn is going public. Chairman Ho Chung-ping (Chow Yun-fat) has promised CEO Winnie Cheung (Sylvia Chang), who has been his mistress for more than twenty years, that she will become a major shareholder of the company. As the IPO team enters the company to audit its accounts, a series of inside stories starts to be revealed.

Lee Xiang (Wang Ziyi), a new hire at Jones & Sunn, brings with him youthful ideals and dreams. Within the neoliberal market, the logic of intrigue rules, complicated by entanglements of love-hate relationships, which weaves a power play and a pathos-laden tragedy inside the office.

Cast

• Chow Yun-fat as Ho Chung-ping (何仲平)
• Sylvia Chang as Winnie Cheung (張威)
• Eason Chan as David Wong (王大偉)
• Tang Wei as Sophie (蘇菲)
• Wang Ziyi as Lee Xiang (李想)
• Lang Yueting as Kat Ho (何琪琪)
• Cheung Siu-fai as John Suen (孫強)
• Tien Hsin as Ka-ling (嘉玲)
• Timmy Hung as Howard (浩浩)
• Stephanie Che as Ban-ban (班班)
• Mickey Chu as Shum Hoi (沈凱)
• Mimi Kung as Mrs. Ho (何太太)
• Lo Hoi-pang as Jones & Sunn security guard

Critical reception

Office has received positive reviews. Manohla Dargis of The New York Times refers it as "One of the best-directed movies that you can see in New York right now".[7] Ignatiy Vishnevetsky of The A.V. Club gave the film a score of B+ praising the film as dazzling and highlighting director Johnnie To's cutting movement and stunningly composed figures.[8] Tom Huddleston of Time Out gave the film a score of 5 out of 5 stars praising its stylish dance and song sequences, catchy lyrics and its screenplay by Sylvia Chang as a keenly observed, spiky treatise on office politics.[9]

James Marsh of Twitch Film gave the film a mixed review praising the imagination that the staging captures, but criticising the lack of development of Hong Kong's working development and director To's lack of vision and clear intent.[10] Clarence Tsui of The Hollywood Reporter praises the film's lavish decorations and technical accomplishments, but criticizes its simplistic screenplay and being unfocused, with little development of the relationships between the characters.[11]

Awards and nominations

Awards and nominations
Ceremony	Category	Recipient	Outcome
35th Hong Kong Film Awards[12]	Best Actress	Sylvia Chang	Nominated
	Best Art Direction	William Chang, Alfred Yau	Won
	Best Makeup & Costume Design	William Chang, Lui Fung-shan	Nominated
	Best Sound Design	David Richardson, Andrew Tuason, Wu Shu-yao	Nominated
	Best Visual Design	Ken Law, Tommy Cheung	Nominated
	Best Original Film Score	Lo Tayu, Keith Chan Fai-young	Won
52nd Golden Horse Awards'[13]	Best Actress	Sylvia Chang	Nominated
	Best Adapted Screenplay	Sylvia Chang	Nominated
	Best Art Direction	William Chang, Alfred Yau	Won
	Best Makeup & Costume Design	William Chang, Lui Fung-shan	Nominated
	Best Original Film Song	Song: Why Bother (何必呢) Composer: Lo Tayu Lyricist: Lin Xi Singer: Eason Chan	Nominated
	Best Sound Effects	Andrew Tuason, Wu Shu-yao, David Richardson	Nominated
22nd Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards[14]	Best Film	Office	Nominated
	Best Director	Johnnie To	Nominated
	Best Actress	Sylvia Chang	Nominated
	Film of Merit	Office	Won

References

1. "TIFF.net - Office".
2. "Johnnie To To Reunite With Chow Yun-fat And Sylvia Chang For An Adaptation Of Design For Living".
3. "杜琪峰張艾嘉合作《華麗上班族》：職場與黑幫不同".
4. "Two Chinese movies to be screened at Toronto film festival".
5. "《上班族》發預告 陳奕迅笑稱職場太玩命".
6. "[電影預告]《華麗上班族》(OFFICE)，9月24日，華麗獻映".
7. "Review: In 'Office' by Johnnie To, Ups and Downs of Business".
8. "Johnnie To's Office twists corporate intrigue into an inspired musical".
9. "Office, directed by Johnnie To Movie review - Time Out".
10. "Review: Johnnie To's OFFICE, Too Much Like Real Work".
11. "'Office' ('Hua Li Shang Ban Zu'/'Wa Lai Seung Ban Tsuk'): TIFF Review".
12. "第35屆香港電影金像獎提名名單".
13. "2015 台北金馬影展 Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival".
14. "第二十二屆香港電影評論學會大獎得獎理由撮要".

External links

• IMdB entry