By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 2.5 cats
Director: Mina Shum
Starring: Helen Dang | Isabella Wei | Manny Fernandez | Ming-Na Wen | Tzi Ma
Year: 2026
Running time: 90
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt39832540/
Michael says: “Feel good film about trophy wives from Hong Kong living in America. Yin, played by Isabelle Wei, is fairly newly married to a wealthy IT guru, BT, whose job takes him to Hong Kong for lengthy stints. Her marriage forced her to give up her first love — street dancing, and when she discovers a shocking secret, she rebels against her given role. Her friend Mary, a wonderful Ming-Na Wen, is also a trophy wife to a man who works with BT, and whose dalliances she forgives to maintain the life she is accustomed to that showers her with the money she craves to live a lifestyle she loves.
“When Isabelle returns to dance in retaliation for her shackled life, she craves the freedom she once had and with the help of her dance coach, Penny, and Alex, a fellow dancer in the troupe, she beings to see alternatives. With shades of Flashdance, Mina Shun’s (DOUBLE HAPPINESS) is an entertaining feel-good film with some terrific breakdancing. 3 cats
“Screened at The Royal Alexandra Theatre, Saturday, 9/12, director and most of the cast in attendance.”
Beth Cu says: “Michael had said the film was like Flashdance, but oh if only! The acting was all over the place, with a passive cipher of a female lead, flat out bad acting from the male romantic support, hackneyed lines, rote predictable plotting, dated music…oy, it was a Hallmark TV knockoff of a dance movie. Thank Ming Na Wen, whose supporting character had the story that I wanted to follow, for keeping my score from tanking further. 2 cats.”