Reviewed by: Inner Strength Date: 02/16/2003 Summary: Good Nothing new at all, but it was good to see Sylvia back after a long gap of doing such dramas that she's suited down to the ground for. One to watch if there's nothing else around, but not really worth running after. 3/5

Reviewed by: bastardswordsman Date: 03/05/2002 Why oh why oh why do they do this? There's few things more frustrating than a director treating his audience like idiots. For such serious, topical and gripping subject matter, do we require to be put through such scenes of puke-worthy sentimentality? Perhaps it's the theatrical flair of Raymond To coming through onto the picture, but if so, does that not make him unsuitable to handle this material (although he penned it himself)? The drama lies in the premise, not the script. Parts of FOREVER AND EVER were sombre, thought-provoking and genuinely touching, complemented by superb performances from Syliva Chang, Chapman To and Lee Pui Shing in particular. Then every half hour cue the sappy music with a scene of Chi Mo basking in a shower of confetti or Sylvia Chang prompting an audience to join her in song. The we come to the image of the brilliant rays of light shining through the crucifix into a darkened room. There were other scenes of religious discussion between Chi Mo and his mum which were handled with plausibility and were not shoving anything down the viewer's throat, but it was eventually taken to too far an extreme. One more major complaint. AIDS awareness is not exactly thriving these days anywhere, let alone HK. In the film, Sylvia Chang buys separate cutlery and sheets for Chi Mo and tells his younger brother not to hug him. At not point does the film dispel these notions of contraction through simple human contact. As the script itself make these notions, it seems irresponsible not to educate otherwise. So a big sigh in places, a lump in the throat in others, a groan elsewhere. As much as I appear to attack the film, I would still recommend it. My anger comes from the fact that FOREVER AND EVER shows such promise, but ultimately self-destructs like an alcoholic footballer.

Reviewed by: lau Date: 06/28/2001 I think that the other two reviewers are not giving credit where credit is due. In my opinion, generally, the movie turns out to be a delightful watch. Since it was based on a real story, the plot couldn't have steered too far away from the truth and that makes it so inspiring. I'm not a Christian and when I watch the movie, I don't judge it in that direction. I think that the whole point in watching a movie is that we are able to enjoy it in the process, and enjoy I did. True, Sylvia was so convincing in her role and the few best scenes in the movie was centered around her. The emotions just flow and you just can't help but to be moved so intensely that you didn't realize that tears have already begun to dwell around your eyes. If you didn't at least shed a tear while watching the movie, there's definitely something wrong with you, sorry if I offended anyone, no pun intended. However, there's no denying that the flow of the movie is indeed somewhat below par, blame that on the director but please excuse him, afterall, it was his first experience. All in all, the movie makes an enjoyable watch during a soft lazy weekend.

Reviewed by: shelly Date: 06/06/2001 Summary: Sylvia Chang shines First: the good news. Sylvia Chang stars in a movie, after a long long wait (two years ago for Tempting Heart). And it's a pleasure to report that Chang is as luminous as can be expected. She's also preserves a certain integrity and elegance, while making the scenes she appears in as believable and moving as possible. However, it's too much to ask, of any one actor, to rescue this sodden, sentimental, disappointment. Well intentioned, for sure. But Raymond To, directing his own script, based on a novel describing real events, is at a loss how to handle the material. It's important, serious material, that too seldom appears in any non-exploited way in a Hong Kong film: Chang plays the mother of a hemophiliac who contracts HIV, then AIDS. Josie Ho supplies a creditable performance as an HIV sufferer who seeks out Chang for advice. But any attempt at sympathetic realism is vitiated by To's saccharine, sentimentalized approach, and awkward handling of narrative, overlayed with a such a mawkishly overblown layer of Christian piety that it turns images of faith into pure kitsch. Poor Sylvia: she does her best. Reviewer Score: 6

Reviewed by: Paul Fonoroff Date: 03/26/2001 There is a thin line separating the genuinely moving from the embarrassingly mawkish. It is a subjective line, to be sure, and one that Forever and Ever treads for most of its 96 minutes, occasionally crossing the line into hard-to-swallow sentimentality. The first movie directed by playwright Raymond To (whose screenplays include adaptations of his plays I Have a Date With Spring, Hu Du Men, and Legend of the Mad Phoenix), this true story of a young hemophiliac felled by AIDS is infused with two major virtues: unabashed sincerity and Sylvia Chang. It is also a showcase for a talented stage actor, Chris Lee, making his screen debut as Chi Mo, a youth who makes the most of a life wracked with physical pain induced by his disease and the mental anguish caused by Hong Kongers’ intolerance and indifference. Josie Ho is also credible in one of the more challenging and unglamorous roles of her career, that of an AIDS sufferer coming to terms with her illness. Raymond To’s script focuses as much on mother (Sylvia Chang) as son. The film is most successful in its portrayal of her selfless, guilt-tinged devotion to Chi Mo from infancy till after his death at age 23, perpetuating his memory through the publication of her son’s books and other life-affirming deeds. She, like her son, is a devout Catholic, and it is in the depiction of their religious piety that the film goes a bit overboard. This need not be a problem, as evidenced by the non-sectarian appeal of such “Catholic” films as Song of Bernadette or Ben-Hur. In Forever and Ever, such incidents as the illumination of Chi Mo’s crucifix, complete with a celestial chorus, will leave non-believers shaking their heads in astonishment. The subject matter of Forever and Ever is inherently so moving that To’s approach would have proven twice as effective with a softer sell. It is rare for a Hong Kong movie to deal with the value of life, love, friends, and family, as well as the concrete issue of AIDS-related prejudice. But by making these worthy messages so “messagy” and preachy, the film runs the risk of alienating the disaffected youth towards whom the film is so earnestly pitched. This would be a pity, for Chi Mo and his mom are truly inspiring, and whatever its excesses, Forever and Ever displays a variety of courage lacking in the physical combats that fill so many Cantonese films. 3 Stars This review is copyright (c) 2001 by Paul Fonoroff. All rights reserved. No part of the review may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owne Reviewer Score: 6

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