Mad World
Theatrical release poster
Directed byWong Chun
Written byFlorence Chan
Produced byDerek Chiu
Heiward Mak
StarringShawn Yue
Eric Tsang
Elaine Jin
Charmaine Fong
CinematographyZhang Ying
Edited byWong Chun
Music byYusuke Hatano
Production
company
Mad World Limited
Distributed byGolden Scene
Release dates
  • 8 September 2016 (2016-09-08) (TIFF)
  • 30 March 2017 (2017-03-30) (Hong Kong)
Running time
101 minutes
CountryHong Kong
LanguageCantonese
BudgetUS$258,000
Box officeUS$1.8 million[1]

Mad World (Cantonese: 一念無明) is a 2016 Hong Kong drama film directed by Wong Chun and starring Shawn Yue, Eric Tsang, Elaine Jin and Charmaine Fong. It is Wong's directorial debut after winning the First Feature Film Initiative. It was selected as the Hong Kong entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards, but it was not nominated.

Premise

Tung, a former financial analyst who is struggling with bipolar disorder, is placed in the custody of his truck-driver father after being dismissed from a mental health institution.

Cast

  • Shawn Yue as Tung—a mentally ill stockbroker
  • Eric Tsang as Tung's father—a cross-town trucker who takes in his son
  • Elaine Jin as Tung's mother—mentally ill woman who was killed by her son
  • Charmaine Fong as Jenny—Tung's former fiancée
  • Wong Chun as Tung's younger brother (voice)[2]

Development

Wong and Chan cited Cageman (1992), about an impoverished community living in cage homes, as a major influence.[3]

Production

The film was shot in 16 days,[3] mostly on location in subdivided flats, and with a budget of around US$257,000. As the film was selected by the First Feature Film Initiative (along with Weeds on Fire and Opus 1), they were unable to procure outside investments. Actors Eric Tsang and Shawn Yue both waived their salaries when they joined the cast.[4][5]

Release

The film premiered at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival. It opened in Hong Kong cinemas on 30 March 2017.[3] The film grossed almost 10x its budget in theaters. A fraction of the profits were used to compensate actors Eric Tsang and Shawn Yue, who waived their salaries, and the few crew members who worked for free.[4]

Reception

Clarence Tsui for The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "While not exactly a full-fledged success, Mad World offers an intimate showcase of a promising director, an actor who can do much more than he’s usually asked to, and a kind of non-manic storytelling that pays for those who are patient enough to pay attention."[5] Edmund Lee of the South China Morning Post gave the film 3.5/5 stars. He wrote, "Mad World is not quite the profound reflection of reality its makers intended it to be, but despite its flaws this is a brave film."[2]

The film was selected as the Hong Kong entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards, but it was not nominated.[6]

Awards and nominations

Award ceremony Category Recipients Result Notes
53rd Golden Horse Awards Best Supporting Actress Elaine Jin Won [7]
Best Supporting Actor Eric Tsang Nominated
Best New Director Wong Chun Won [7]
Hong Kong Film Directors Guild Awards Best New Director Wong Chun Won
1st Malaysia Golden Global Awards Best Film Mad World Nominated
Best Actor Eric Tsang Won
Best Screenplay Florence Chan Nominated
Best Cinematography Zhang Ying Nominated
23rd Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award Best Film Mad World Nominated
Best Director Wong Chun Won
Best Screenplay Florence Chan Won
Best Actor Shawn Yue Nominated
Eric Tsang Nominated
Best Actress Elaine Jin Nominated
Charmaine Fong Nominated
Film of Merit Mad World Won
12th Osaka Asian Film Festival Grand Prix Mad World Won
11th Asian Film Awards Best Supporting Actress Elaine Jin Nominated
Youth Film Handbook Awards Award for Excellence Mad World Won
Best Supporting Actress Elaine Jin Won
36th Hong Kong Film Awards Best Director Wong Chun Nominated
Best Screenplay Florence Chan Nominated
Best Actor Shawn Yue Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Eric Tsang Won
Best Supporting Actress Charmaine Fong Nominated
Elaine Jin Won
Best Original Film Score Yusuke Hatano Nominated
Best New Director Wong Chun Won
17th Chinese Film Media Awards[8]Best ActorShawn YueNominated
Best ScreenplayFlorence ChanNominated
Best New DirectorWong ChunNominated
Best Supporting ActorEric TsangNominated
Best Supporting ActressElaine JinNominated
Charmaine FongNominated

See also

References

  1. ↑ "一念無明-票房收入-香港偶像劇場". hk.dorama.info. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
  2. 1 2 Lee, Edmund (30 March 2017). "Film review: Mad World – Shawn Yue, Eric Tsang in sombre drama". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 Lee, Edmund (28 March 2017). "How Eric Tsang, Shawn Yue came to star in indie gem Mad World". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  4. 1 2 Chu, Karen (22 November 2017). "Oscars: How 'Mad World' Offers an Alternative Look at Life in Hong Kong". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  5. 1 2 Tsui, Clarence (8 September 2016). "'Mad World' ('Yat Nim Mo Ming'): Film Review - TIFF 2016". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
  6. ↑ Frater, Patrik (21 September 2017). "Hong Kong Picks 'Mad World' for Oscar Consideration". Variety. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  7. 1 2 "Chinese films shine at Golden Horse film awards in Taiwan". channelnewsasia.com. Archived from the original on 29 November 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
  8. ↑ "第17届华语电影传媒盛典公布提名名单". Mtime (in Chinese). 29 August 2017.


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