Sara

Yau is one of the few Hong Kong directors who manage to combine more typical Hong Kong genre work with socially engaged dramas. Ten years earlier he already made a series of films focusing on prostitution issues, Sara is a new take on those same issues, this time zoning in on Thailand. The result is pretty laudable.

Sara is a spirited journalist, but when she delivers a deep dive article that outs a lot of important political figures, her editor refuses to publish it in fear of retribution. Sara quits her job and moves to Thailand, where she meets Dok-my, a child prostitute. Sara is moved by her story and is willing to make a difference for the young girl.

It's nice to see Charlene Choi successfully rebranding herself, Simon Yam is his usual quality self. There's good chemistry between the two, and they handle the drama pretty well (not always a given with popular Hong Kong actors). The cinematography is pleasant, the message comes through loud and clear and the film isn't too preachy. A fine effort.