Suk Suk
Suk Suk (Chinese: 叔.叔) is a 2019 Hong Kong drama film written and directed by Ray Yeung. It presents the story of two secretly homosexual married men in their twilight years. One day Pak, 70, a taxi driver who refuses to retire, meets Hoi, 65, a retired single father, in a park. Despite years of societal and personal pressure, they are proud of the families they have created through hard work and determination. Yet, in that brief initial encounter, something is unleashed in them which had been suppressed for so many years. As both men recount and recall their personal histories, they also contemplate a possible future together. Suk Suk studies the subtle day-to-day moments of two men as they struggle between conventional expectations and personal desires.[2]
Suk Suk | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Chinese | 叔.叔 |
Directed by | Ray Yeung |
Produced by | Michael J. Werner Teresa Kwong Sandy Yip Chowee Leow |
Written by | Ray Yeung |
Starring | Tai Bo Ben Yuen Patra Au |
Music by | Veronica Lee |
Cinematography | Leung Ming-kai |
Edited by | William Chang Nose Chan |
Production company | New Voice Film Productions |
Release date | |
Running time | 92 minutes |
Country | Hong Kong |
Language | Cantonese |
Cast
- Tai Bo as Pak
- Ben Yuen as Hoi
- Patra Au as Ching
- Lo Chun-Yip as Wan
- To Kong as Chiu
- Lam Yiu-Sing as Edmond
- Wong Hiu-Yee as Fong
- Hu Yixin as Zheng
- Kwan Lau-Ting as Joyce
- Chu Wai-Keung as Dior
Release
Suk Suk had its world premiere at the 24th Busan International Film Festival on 4 October 2019.[3]
Reception
Elizabeth Kerr from The Hollywood Reporter describes Suk Suk as Ray Yeung's "most accomplished, mature film to date, and Yeung demonstrates a keen eye for the social dynamics that impact us and how we respond to them, and finds space to bask in the simple pleasures, basic generosity and the safety net that is family while simultaneously dealing with homophobia, ageism and faith.".[4] Wendy Ide from Screen Daily described Suk Suk as "a gentle, understated storytelling with subtly observant camerawork to match".[5] Zhuo-Ning Su from The Film Stage writes, "In lucid, carefully non-judgmental strokes, Yeung recreates the easy familiarity of (hetero-normative) family life that both men have gotten used to."[6] Sight & Sound indicates, "Suk Suk is a loving, considerate tale of queer love in later life. Elaborating an affair between two elderly men in present-day Hong Kong, Ray Yeung proves himself as an astute observer of human affection and social obligation in his third feature film."[7] Alissa Simon from Variety describes, "Strong performances by veterans Tai Bo and Ben Yuen make the protagonists’ struggle concrete and affecting."[8]
Awards
At the Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards, Suk Suk was awarded:
At the Golden Horse Awards Taipei, Taiwan, Suk Suk was nominated for:
- Best Original Screenplay (Ray Yeung)[10]
- Best Feature Film[10]
- Best Leading Actor (Tai Bo)[11]
- Best Leading Actor (Ben Yuen)[11]
- Best Supporting Actress (Patra Au)[11]
References
- "Suk Suk". Busan International Film Festival. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
- "News". New Voice Film Productions. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
- "Busan International Film Festival". Busan International Film Festival. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
- "'Suk Suk': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
- Ide, Wendy. "'Suk Suk'". Screen. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
- "'Suk Suk' Beautifully Captures a Late-Blossoming Queer Romance". The Film Stage. 7 October 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
- "Nine discoveries from the 2020 Berlinale | Sight & Sound". British Film Institute. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
- Simon, Alissa; Simon, Alissa (6 March 2020). "'Suk Suk': Film Review". Variety. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
- "第二十六屆香港電影評論學會大獎頒獎禮". 香港電影評論學會 (in Chinese). Retrieved 28 March 2020.
- "【金馬獎2019】袁富華升呢挑戰影帝 僅兩部港產片入圍". 香港01 (in Chinese). 1 October 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
- "台北金馬影展 Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival". www.goldenhorse.org.tw (in Chinese). Retrieved 6 November 2019.
External links
- Suk Suk on IMDb
- Production website: New Voice Film Productions