Beyond Our Ken

A rather simplistic payoff doesn’t prevent Beyond Our Ken from being an excellent film, as well as another assured effort from director Edmond Pang Ho-Cheung. Gililan Chung and Tao Hong are excellent, and the emotions the film conveys are remarkably felt. Not much occurs, but the road travelled makes this one of 2004’s better films.

Gillian Chung of Twins reveals hidden depths beneath her squeaky-clean popstar persona in the refreshing and darkly emotional Beyond Our Ken. Directed by Edmond Pang (Men Suddenly in Black), the film details the burgeoning friendship between two obvious romantic rivals: Ching (Gillian Chung), spurned girlfriend of the eponymous Ken (Daniel Wu), and Shirley (Mainland actress Tao Hong), Ken’s current flame. The two girls meet when Ching approaches Shirley needing help. Ken took some nude photos of Ching and posted them on the Internet, and she wants them back. Since Shirley currently has an in with Ken, she’s the obvious candidate for help. Yet why would the current girlfriend wish to help the ex?