A Gilded Game

Story: Gao Han (Ou Hao) has just graduated from one of the country's top universities. Since he doesn't come from a wealthy family, finding a job at a company is more difficult for him. Luckily, he has a successful uncle, and so he eventually lands an internship at Bluestone Bank. The bank specializes in helping companies go public, first conducting a thorough analysis of their market value. Gao has to prove himself at the company for six months without pay to earn a chance at a permanent position. His girlfriend is happy to make sacrifices for him and supports him in every way she can. Meanwhile, Gao becomes the protégé of Zhang Todd (Andy Lau), who initially has no interest in taking him under his wing, especially since it's a punishment imposed by Managing Director Li Hailun (Huang Yi). Li wants to drive the overly honest Zhang out of the company, but has no chance because he has too many connections. So she decides to at least put obstacles in his way by assigning him an intern. But Gao proves to be extremely intelligent and capable. Soon, Gao has learned the essentials and must face his first serious moral dilemma. Will he remain true to his principles, or will he betray them in order to finally secure a stable job and a lot of money for himself?

Review: Herman Yau keeps Hong Kong blockbuster cinema alive these days with films like "Moscow Mission" or the remake "Crisis Negotiators". Accordingly, one has to wonder who his target audience was with "A Gilded Game". The film deals with IPOs, market manipulation, and the moral boundaries which money can seduce us to cross. The latter might still resonate with most viewers, but by the time the finale sees strategies being developed to acquire a majority stake in a company, involving the manipulation of shares on a computer, most will likely mentally check out or simply lose track of what's happening. However, those with some familiarity with the subject matter will find it entertaining. Ultimately, what pleased me most was that Yau took a risk here and didn't just stick to well-trodden paths. On the other hand, it cannot be denied that the film often loses focus and drifts aimlessly because of its various subplots.

At its core, the story explores how the lure of money can corrupt a person. The protagonist is Gao Han, who comes from humble beginnings, even though his uncle has risen to the top. Gao is determined to climb the social ladder on his own, and scenes like his girlfriend selling an expensive handbag to help them make ends meet, or being berated by a superior for wearing a cheap tie, illustrate the arduous path he is willing to take. Naturally, the story focuses on Gao's ascent, which goes hand in hand with moral questions he has to face. Initially, he is fortunate, as his mentor demonstrates that success is possible without resorting to ruthless tactics. Simultaneously, Gao is under immense pressure, forcing him to use every means at his disposal to secure deals. The question is, what constitutes "every means"? This is where the story becomes intriguing, as Gao draws a clear line only to shift it again moments later. One example involves a potential client who makes clear advances and makes a positive response a requirement for her signing a contract.

Things get even more intriguing with the female superior. She puts Gao in such a difficult situation that he is more or less allowing to be raped. The power dynamic here is reversed on a gender level. It would be professional suicide for him to clearly signal a stop. Incidentally, Huang Yi ("The Woman Knight of Mirror Lake") is very convincing in the role of the antagonist. Money is paramount for Li Hailun, but she can't be described as evil in the classic sense. Todd is a particular thorn in her side, as he constantly holds her back with his moral qualms. Because there are some shifts in the company dynamics, and Gao naturally climbs the career ladder, it remains exciting to see what will happen next in this regard. Betrayal and redemption are themes that are not neglected in "A Gilded Game", that goes without saying, but it never becomes excessively dramatic, which is actually quite refreshing. Sometimes the individuals involved take things in stride. Nevertheless, the central message is that it's all a rigged game where only the big players win and the small investors are left empty-handed.

Hong Kong may be more obsessed with stocks than many other countries, and so it's likely that most Western viewers will find it difficult to follow the precise strategies or understand why someone does what they do and why that's supposed to be exciting. The same problem existed in "The Goldfinger", also with Andy Lau. In that case, one could simply focus on the characters and the interpersonal stories that unfold. If only these were well executed... Unfortunately, Gao's wife appears in very few scenes, and so their relationship leaves us cold. Andy Lau's character, on the other hand, spends a lot of time with a former girlfriend who is always drunk on stage, hoarsely singing a song. Eventually, it becomes clear that her father's suicide was indirectly caused by Todd's recommendation to buy stocks, and thus a difficult-to-bridge rift has developed between the two, despite their mutual feelings. But the scenes between the two are far too drawn out, seemingly solely for the purpose to further exploit Andy Lau's star power, as he would otherwise have had little to do for large portions of the film. It's a subplot that should have been significantly cut.

Ultimately, with a runtime of 128 minutes, more work should have been done with the characters. Gao Han is supposed to be the central figure, but despite the successful portrayal of his moral qualms, he remains too thinly sketched as a person. Another problem is that we are rather abruptly surprised by the end credits. A few title cards inform us who received what punishment for their misdeeds, because even if those who engage in market manipulation usually get away scot-free in reality, this is obviously not allowed in a Chinese production. "A Gilded Game" has some slow parts, but can also be quite exciting, provided you are interested in the subject matter. And therein lies the problem: While I was pleased to get a somewhat different story and enjoyed parts of it, most people will probably find the stock market theme difficult to grasp. And the interpersonal aspects and the drama, despite good performances, unfortunately leave much to be desired. Therefore, it's simply not a film I can recommend to everyone.

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