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Fat Choi Spirit

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Fat Choi Spirit
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese嚦咕嚦咕新年財
Simplified Chinese呖咕呖咕新年财
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinLì Gū Lì Gū Xīn Nián Cái
Yue: Cantonese
JyutpingLi1 Gu1 Li1 Gu4 San1 Nin4 Coi4
Directed by
Written by
Produced by
  • Johnnie To
  • Wai Ka-fai
Starring
Cinematography
Edited by
Music byRaymond Wong
Production
companies
Distributed byChina Star Entertainment Group
Release date
  • 8 February 2002 (2002-02-08)
Running time
96 minutes
CountryHong Kong
LanguageCantonese
Box officeHK$19,218,759

Fat Choi Spirit (traditional Chinese: 嚦咕嚦咕新年財; simplified Chinese: 呖咕呖咕新年财) is a 2002 Hong Kong comedy film produced and directed by Johnnie To and Wai Ka-fai, and starring Andy Lau, Lau Ching-wan, Louis Koo, Gigi Leung and Cherrie In.

The film is a comedy, falling into the peculiar Hong Kong genre of mahjong films, and was released during the Lunar New Year of 2002.

Plot

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Andy is an extremely compulsive mahjong player. Thrown out of the house by his mother and ignored by his more academically gifted and successful younger brother, Louis, he has a hard time running away from debt collectors. One day he meets a woman named Gigi after a run-in with some of the debt collectors' men. Gigi starts out as a thief, but because she falls for him and gives him immense luck, Andy has extreme good luck in mahjong games and becomes very rich.

However, he refuses to marry Gigi because she, though a nice woman when with him, is a sore loser who throws temper tantrums when on the verge of losing mahjong games. She cannot understand that he cannot stand the way she behaves. As Andy says, her behaviour is revealed by just playing a game of mahjong where when she loses, she would throw[clarification needed] the tables. He promises to marry her if she can play a game of mahjong without such a bad temper. She cannot and so he does not marry her, though he loves her.

In the meantime, Andy finds his mother, who is now suffering from Alzheimer's disease. His brother faces bankruptcy and moves in with Andy, who lives in a bungalow. Not wanting to lose out on finding a job, Louis who has excellent luck in mahjong but zero skill, gets conned out of all his money and even his clothes by a skilled, devious mahjong player, Sean. A kind-hearted simpleton, a woman on the con team, Cherrie, falls for him and decides to mend her ways.

Gigi, who is very disappointed with Andy's refusal to marry her, falls in with a bad crowd: the mahjong con men led by Sean. Andy, who is cursed by Gigi, loses his winning streak and instead works as a taxi driver and moves into public housing. Being ever optimistic, he does not complain. However, not wanting Gigi to fall into the con men's trap, he plays a game of mahjong with Sean and loses badly. Gigi is touched by his actions and goes back to him, promising she will return a better woman. Before she leaves, she gives Andy a blessing and, from there on, Andy's winning streak returns.

Louis, who had created a mahjong computer game with his new girlfriend (Cherrie), receives word that there will be a mahjong tournament sponsored by his game[clarification needed]. The ever optimistic Andy enters the contest and competes against Sean. Before the tournament begins, he discovers that Gigi has returned to her old job as a flight attendant and sends him lucky items from around the world. During the tournament, Andy is able to secure a seat in the final match, which includes Sean, Sean's father, and a henchman. Andy easily wins the match but is confronted by Sean, who wants a rematch. Andy agrees. Before the match ends, Andy gives the prize to Sean. Sean, surprised, looks at Andy's hand, which is a major breakthrough set. Sean realizes all his mistakes and decides to learn from Andy. Andy regains all his money and starts a mahjong school by the sea. He eventually marries Gigi.

Cast

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See also

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