I'm Livin' It

Last updated

I'm Livin' It
ImLivinIt.jpg
Film poster
Traditional Chinese 麥路人
Simplified Chinese 麦路人
Hanyu Pinyin Mài Lù Rén
Jyutping Mak6 Lou6 Jan4
Directed byDanny Wong
Screenplay byJa Poon
Produced by Cheang Pou-soi
Starring Aaron Kwok
Miriam Yeung
Alex Man
Cheung Tat-ming
Paw Hee-ching
Cya Liu
Zeno Koo
Gaga Wong
Kathy Wu
Sammy So
Nora Miao
CinematographyYip Shiu-kei
Edited bySiu Pa-wong
Angelina Kwan
Music by Peter Kam
Production
companies
Media Asia Films
Entertainment Power
Beijing Lajin Film
Media Asia Distribution (Beijing)
China Film Media Asia Audio Video Distribution
Mokexing Film (Beijing)
Amazing Global Limited
Mountain Top
EMI Global (Beijing) International Asset Management
Beijing Linxi Film
Beijing Bigmay Universe Film
Star Alliance Pictures (Wuxi)
Distributed byMedia Asia Distributions
Entertaining Power (Hong Kong, Worldwide)
Intercontinental Film Distributors (HK) (Hong Kong)
Release dates
  • 29 October 2019 (2019-10-29)(TIFF)
  • 17 September 2020 (2020-09-17)(Hong Kong)
Running time
114 minutes
CountryHong Kong
Language Cantonese
Box officeUS$3.63 million [1]

I'm Livin' It is a 2019 Hong Kong drama film directed by Danny Wong in his directorial debut [2] and starring Aaron Kwok and Miriam Yeung. The film addresses the issues of rich-poor gap in the Hong Kong society, as well as poverty and homelessness and focuses on McRefugees. [3] [4] I'm Livin' It made its world premiere at the 32nd Tokyo International Film Festival in the Asian Future section on 20 October 2019. [2] The film also closed both the 4th London East Asia Film Festival on 3 November 2019, where Kwok was the subject of the festival's Actor Focus and also winning the Best Actor Award for his performance, [5] [6] and the 4th International Film Festival & Awards Macao on 20 December 2019 [7] before it was theatrically released in Hong Kong on 17 September 2020. [8] It was nominated for ten awards at the 39th Hong Kong Film Awards, winning Best Supporting Actor for Cheung Tat-ming. [9]

Contents

Plot

Bowen Tung (Aaron Kwok) used to be a financial whiz who has become a McRefugee. He befriends other homeless dwellers, which include Wai-yin (Cya Liu), a mother who becomes indebt from paying off her mother-in-law's debts, Uncle Wait (Alex Man), who is afraid to return home, Sam (Zeno Koo), a teenager who ran away from home, and Jane (Miriam Yeung), a lounge singer. They all support and help each other to overcome the difficult times of their lives.

Cast

Theme song

Production

Aaron Kwok revealed he first read the script for the film at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival and insisted to be part of the project then. He also starved himself to get the feeling of hunger in order to dive deeper into his role and suffered from psychosomatic symptoms as a result and thought he had developed cancer like his character did and had to get his body checked by a doctor who told him not to worry. [10]

Reception

Box office

I'm Livin' It grossed a total of US$3,629,423 worldwide. [1]

Opening on 17 September 2020 in Hong Kong, the film debuted No. 2 at its opening weekend, grossing HK$2.97 million. [11] During its second weekend, the film grossed HK$2.18 million and was placed at No. 3, grossing a total of HK$5.15 million by then. [12] In its third weekend, the film grossed HK$1.79 million, positioning at No. 4, grossing a total of HK$6.95 million by then. [13] During its fourth weekend, the film grossed HK$700,000, placing at No. 7, having accumulated a total gross of HK$7.59 million by then. [14] By 14 October 2020, I'm Livin' It had grossed a total of HK$8 million in Hong Kong. [15] The film ended its Hong Kong theatrical run with a total gross of HK$8,273,307 at the local box office, making it the fourth highest-grossing domestic film of 2020 in the territory. [16]

Critical reception

Edmund Lee of the South China Morning Post gave the film a score of 3.5/5 stars praising Danny Wong's direction and the cast's performances. [17] Lim Lian-yu of Yahoo! Lifestyle gave the film a score of 3/5 stars and writes "I’m Livin’ It will make you ponder about the severity of the social issues presented in the movie, and how these issues of being trapped in a vicious poverty cycle have been lingering around and awaiting solutions." [18] The Straits Times praised Wong's direction, calling it an "engaging if heavily romanticised portrait of a tragic social phenomenon." [19] Deborah Young of The Hollywood Reporter praises the film's distinct and convincing tone performances of Aaron Kwok and Miriam Yeung and the film's tech work. [20]

Awards and nominations

CeremonyCategoryRecipientResults
39th Hong Kong Film Awards [9] Best Film I'm Livin' ItNominated
Best Actor Aaron Kwok Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Alex Man Nominated
Cheung Tat-ming Won
Best Supporting Actress Cya LiuNominated
Best Art Direction Man Lim-chung, Billy LiNominated
Best Costume Make Up Design Man Lim-chung, Polly ChanNominated
Best Original Film Score Peter Kam Nominated
Best Original Film Song Song: Grey Stardust (灰色星塵)

Composer: Peter Kam
Lyricist: Siu Mei
Singer: Aaron Kwok

Nominated
Best New Director Danny WongNominated
3rd Kongest Film Awards [21] Best FilmI'm Livin' ItNominated
Best ActorAaron KwokNominated
Best Actress Miriam Yeung Nominated
My Favorite Hong Kong FilmI'm Livin' ItNominated

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 "I'm Livin' It - Financial Information".
  2. 1 2 "I'M LIVIN' IT Q&A: Confronting the Reality of Homelessness, Forging Connections".
  3. "Aaron Kwok, Miriam Yeung's "I'm Livin' It" Addresses Rich-Poor Divide in Hong Kong".
  4. Lui, John (23 September 2020). "Hong Kong's McRefugees have stories worth telling, says I'm Livin' It director". The Straits Times. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  5. "Aaron Kwok to be the focus at film festival in London".
  6. "Aaron Kwok wins Best Actor accolade in London".
  7. "I'M LIVIN' ITDATE: 2019/12/10 21:00VENUE: MACAO CULTURAL CENTRE – SMALL AUDITORIUM".
  8. "麥路人 I'm Livin' It - Yahoo Movies".
  9. 1 2 "Nomination and Awardees list of The 39th Hong Kong Film Awards".
  10. "Aaron Kwok got so into I'm Livin' It character he suffered a cancer scare".
  11. "香港週末◆票房收入:2020年 第 38 週09-17~09-20".
  12. "香港週末◆票房收入:2020年 第 39 週09-24~09-27".
  13. "香港週末◆票房收入:2020年 第 40 週10-01~10-04".
  14. "香港週末◆票房收入:2020年 第 41 週10-08~10-11".
  15. "港片《麥路人》票房理想 上映三周衝800萬港元".
  16. "數讀香港:2020年本港票房大跌72%".
  17. "I'm Livin' It movie review: Aaron Kwok plays a McRefugee in heartbreaking poverty drama".
  18. "REVIEW: I'm Livin' It lays bare the problems of poverty and inequality".
  19. "At The Movies: The Personal History Of David Copperfield, Deliver Us From Evil, I'm Livin' It, and more".
  20. "'I'm Livin' It': Film Review Tokyo 2019".
  21. "【第三屆最港電影大獎(2)】入圍名單出爐! 《幻愛》《金都》各攬四提名". Apple Daily 蘋果日報. Archived from the original on 3 July 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020.