Office
(aka Contemporary Musical Design for Living, Design for Living)
2015; directed by Johnnie To

As we move further into the 2000s, as more and more people have become affected by various financial crisises, hedge fund managers in Armani spearheading hostile takeovers has seemingly replaced tattooed Triads brawling in fish markets with oversized knives as the defacto action in Hong Kong cinema. Johnnie To is a director better known to western audiences for his takes on gangster shenanigans, but has also dabbled in financial dramas as well, such as Life Without Principle -- but his latest release, Office, is perhaps the first time any film-maker has combined the sub-genre with a musical.

Though taking Office as a strict interpretation of the musical was most likely not To's thrust. His crime films are known for their quirky and stylistic takes, and he follows a similar path here in his first musical. Those potential audience members who are cringing in anticipation of the epitome of classic Hong Kong cinema gangster cool Chow Yun-Fat soft-shoeing his way through an extravagant Bubsy Berkeley song and dance number can rest assured that things never go quite that over the top. In fact, many times, the songs are more akin to the characters singing their lines versus full-blown musical numbers.

That may come from the fact that Office was adapted from a play, Design for Living, which was written by producer/star Sylvia Chang, who also co-penned the film's screenplay. Chang's work as one of the few female directors in the region is often noted for using more everyday events to delve deeper into relationships and Hong Kong culture as a whole, and that definitely shows up in her script. The well-worn tropes of characters like the young go-getter (Wang Ziyi) and grizzled veteran (Eason Chan) jockeying for position in a company rocked by both internal and external turmoil while both are in the throes of office romances (i.e., just about every other drama set in an office setting) becomes something new and interesting through Chang's tight script and To's adept use of fleshing out characterization without hammering the viewer over the head with obvious stereotypes and symbolism. Almost from the start, these are people the audience becomes interested and invested in.

While some fans may be disappointed that Office may not be another in the illustrious line of finely made crime films by Johnnie To, those who are more familiar with his filmography will know that he is well-versed in working in other genres and making great films in areas other than Triad antics, and Office is another example of that skill at work, showing yet again why To is one of the world's best directors and a film-maker whose new releases are always something to take note of.

RATING: 7

As of the time of the writing of this review (September 2015) China Lion is showing "Office" in a limited theatrical run in North America. More information, including showtimes and tickets, can be found on China Lion's site.