At the 42nd Hong Kong Film Awards yesterday, “Ten Years” won the “Best Film” award, and Chapman To’s acceptance speech was also impressive.
“A Guilty Conscience” (Chinese: 毒舌大狀), directed and written by Ng Wai Lun, starring Wong Cho-lam, Carlos Chan, Koni Lui, Zoie Tam, and Danny Hung. As a Hong Kong dark comedy legal film, from the script, actors to dialogues, everything is refined, portraying courtroom battles vividly, also delving into many underlying issues beloved by the audience.
Let’s now savor the excitement of the movie once again!
Multiple award honors
Before winning the “Best Film” at the 42nd Hong Kong Film Awards, the film had also won the “Annual Recommended Script Award” at the 2023 Hong Kong Film Writers Association Awards,”Best Film of the Year” at the Hong Kong Film Directors’ Guild, and several other major awards, showcasing the outstanding quality of the film!
Although the movie had received ten nominations for the Golden Horse Awards, it only won the only award of the night at the last moment, causing Chapman To to choke up when expressing his feelings on stage: “Even though peonies are beautiful, they still need green leaves to support them. Actors are the green leaves. What’s most important are the creation and the director. Every line of dialogue was carefully considered with the help of legal advisors.” Whether winning or not, it is a recognition and encouragement for all filmmakers. Winning an award is a form of affirmation and validation for them!
Further Reading:
- “I’d rather be beaten by people than taken by the heavens.”
- “The only reason worth us doing this is to hope for a fairer world.”
- “It’s not ‘Something Is Wrong,’ today here it’s ‘Everything Is Wrong.'”
- “Nine out of ten people enter the coffin with regrets, I don’t want to be one of them.”
- “I just hope for a bit of justice in this world, rather than letting these rich people spend money on us as if we were monkeys.”
- “Of course, one should win people over with virtue, not scheming in secret.”
- “We used to say that everyone is equal before the law. Nowadays, everyone has changed their tune, saying that the poor are doomed before the law. I’ll just wait and see who is doomed today.”
- “I said that whether it’s gold or silver, I must ensure equality before the law, I must seek justice.”
- “Having logical things, nowadays it’s really hard to expect everyone to have it.”
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- “I’d rather be beaten by people than taken by the heavens.”
- “The only reason worth us doing this is to hope for a fairer world.”
- “It’s not ‘Something Is Wrong,’ today here it’s ‘Everything Is Wrong.'”
- “Nine out of ten people enter the coffin with regrets, I don’t want to be one of them.”
- “I just hope for a bit of justice in this world, rather than letting these rich people spend money on us as if we were monkeys.”
- “Of course, one should win people over with virtue, not scheming in secret.”
- “We used to say that everyone is equal before the law. Nowadays, everyone has changed their tune, saying that the poor are doomed before the law. I’ll just wait and see who is doomed today.”
- “I said that whether it’s gold or silver, I must ensure equality before the law, I must seek justice.”
- “Having logical things, nowadays it’s really hard to expect everyone to have it.”
The story of Lin Liangshui, who upholds justice and always stands on the side of righteousness, is quite captivating when watching him speak eloquently in court with his iron-clad arguments. It also instills belief and hope in people that the day when “heaven has eyes” will eventually come.
Making history in Hong Kong with the first-ever box office miracle of reaching 100 million!
On its opening day in 2023, the box office has already reached HK$4.2 million, making it the top-grossing Hong Kong film of 2023 on its opening day; five days later, the total box office reached HK$30 million, becoming the fastest Hong Kong-produced film to achieve this box office milestone in Hong Kong’s history. Breaking the box office record twice within a month, by the 32nd day, it had already surpassed HK$100 million at the box office, becoming the first film in Hong Kong cinema history to achieve this milestone. This is also the first time since “Kung Fu Hustle” that a Hong Kong-produced film has defeated imported films to win the annual box office championship after 19 years.
Finally created a box office myth of 180 million, ranking 9th in the highest box office in the history of Hong Kong films!
Unique Scenes in Movies
Many scenes in the movie take place in familiar locations such as: Australia Dairy Company, Mong Kok Flower Market, Former Kowloon City Magistrates’ Court, Former Fanling Magistrates’ Court, Former Supreme Court Building in Central, Hong Kong’s Legal Monument, Grade 1 Historic Building Tiger Balm Villa, with the courthouse building being the most prominent.
The settings are carefully selected by the director and production team, fitting the plot while also rich in Hong Kong’s historical value.
For example, the Former North Kowloon Magistracy Building (formerly the only trial court in the Kowloon district) was designed in a simple neoclassical style, rich in elegant architectural features, with the courtrooms inside still retaining their original layout. The seven-story courthouse has a front facade primarily composed of a series of symmetrically designed narrow, elongated windows, with a central bay projecting outward and featuring a double-layer canopy. The building’s architectural characteristics include intricately carved door frames, marble wall decorations, and the iris flower patterned iron railings on the lobby staircase. Previously serving as the campus of the Arts Design University in 2010, it is now a Grade 2 historic building. The government later allocated HK$160 million for revitalization, transforming it into a Judicial Education Center accessible to the public in 2026.
Movie Promotion Song “Tongue-in-Cheek Anthem”
Created by Wong Chi-wa, Ho Kai-wah, Gareth.T, and Little K, this song, although not nominated for Best Music, boasts lyrics that are like gems, every word profound. It fully embodies the legal spirit and principles of the protagonist, Lin Liangshui!
Evocative Dialogue
In the movie, Lin Liangshui, who volunteered to become a barrister from a judge just to seek justice for the poor, has very sharp and powerful dialogue, leaving a deep impression. In fact, this is achieved through the production team’s frequent consultations with legal advisors over the years, even making continuous modifications and adjustments on set to make the dialogue closely resemble the language used by real lawyers, while also showcasing Wong Cho Lam’s “sharp tongue” and sarcasm.
The story of Lin Liangshui, who upholds justice and always stands on the side of righteousness, is quite captivating when watching him speak eloquently in court with his iron-clad arguments. It also instills belief and hope in people that the day when “heaven has eyes” will eventually come.
