DIRECTOR: WEI-HAO CHENG
STARRING: GREG HAN HSU, PO-HUNG LIN, GINGLE WANG
RUNNING TIME: 2 HRS 10 MINUTES
One day a police officer finds a red wedding envelope, only to find out that the owner is in fact a ghost asking for the officer's hand in marriage before reincarnation. What will happen when a human and a ghost form a special bond?
STARRING: GREG HAN HSU, PO-HUNG LIN, GINGLE WANG
RUNNING TIME: 2 HRS 10 MINUTES
One day a police officer finds a red wedding envelope, only to find out that the owner is in fact a ghost asking for the officer's hand in marriage before reincarnation. What will happen when a human and a ghost form a special bond?
FILM REVIEW:
(This review contains spoilers.)
“Most people are too scared to pick up a red envelope.”
Marry My Dead Body is the International Feature submission for Taiwan. Cheng Wai-Hao’s latest film is about a homophobic police officer, Ming-Han, who accidentally picks up a red envelope after the end of high-speed car pursuit of a wanted drug dealer. This envelope belongs to the grandmother of her grandson Mao Mao. He died unexpectedly from a car accident after an altercation with his father.
Mao Mao always wanted to get married, and so Mao Mao’s grandmother comes up with the idea of a ghost marriage, and the bride would be the owner of the red envelope. After a string of bad luck, Ming-Han reluctantly agrees to the wedding. Together, the newlyweds begin an adventure to solving his latest police investigation, but to also find out who was responsible for the hit and run that ended Mao Mao’s life. This is the only way that he can finally be at peace and to be reincarnated.
Marry My Dead Body is a wholesome film. It’s heartwarming, bittersweet, at times soul crushing and very tender underneath all of the comedic aspects to it. It's campy and hilarious, with supernatural and crime elements. But the heavy moments of drama is where the film succeeds. It’s the humane part of the film. And those special moments of acceptance, love, grief, forgiveness, resulting in a new outlook on life are the best parts.
The key message to the film, if you strip away all of the absurdity, is about fully apprehending someone’s emotional needs and once that is figured out, it is about going to great lengths to address them. True love is a bond that involves understanding each other’s core values, beliefs and life goals. This connection creates a sense of companionship where both parties involved feel like they’re on the same page towards fulfilling ones shared dreams. Once that is done, life has been completed.
If Mao Mao had met someone like you while he was still alive, I think he’d have been so happy.
REVIEW: B-
(This review contains spoilers.)
“Most people are too scared to pick up a red envelope.”
Marry My Dead Body is the International Feature submission for Taiwan. Cheng Wai-Hao’s latest film is about a homophobic police officer, Ming-Han, who accidentally picks up a red envelope after the end of high-speed car pursuit of a wanted drug dealer. This envelope belongs to the grandmother of her grandson Mao Mao. He died unexpectedly from a car accident after an altercation with his father.
Mao Mao always wanted to get married, and so Mao Mao’s grandmother comes up with the idea of a ghost marriage, and the bride would be the owner of the red envelope. After a string of bad luck, Ming-Han reluctantly agrees to the wedding. Together, the newlyweds begin an adventure to solving his latest police investigation, but to also find out who was responsible for the hit and run that ended Mao Mao’s life. This is the only way that he can finally be at peace and to be reincarnated.
Marry My Dead Body is a wholesome film. It’s heartwarming, bittersweet, at times soul crushing and very tender underneath all of the comedic aspects to it. It's campy and hilarious, with supernatural and crime elements. But the heavy moments of drama is where the film succeeds. It’s the humane part of the film. And those special moments of acceptance, love, grief, forgiveness, resulting in a new outlook on life are the best parts.
The key message to the film, if you strip away all of the absurdity, is about fully apprehending someone’s emotional needs and once that is figured out, it is about going to great lengths to address them. True love is a bond that involves understanding each other’s core values, beliefs and life goals. This connection creates a sense of companionship where both parties involved feel like they’re on the same page towards fulfilling ones shared dreams. Once that is done, life has been completed.
If Mao Mao had met someone like you while he was still alive, I think he’d have been so happy.
REVIEW: B-
