The plot of Oliver Chan Siu-Kuen’s ‘Still Human’ is pure formula.  So when this is the case, it is up to the actors to make the story come alive. Will  the characters feel true and authentic? In this film, Anthony Wong and Crisel Consunji will make you believe. The screenplay can sometimes too rote, but the actors are still able to let the emotions feel believable.

It’s a well-worn story of a fussy boss and the maid with the heart of gold. They come from different worlds, but finsssssssssd commonality – a all human beings do.  What I liked most about the film is its local flavour. Although it is set in Hong Kong, it eschews all the tourist places and places you in the heart of the housing projects, where you can feel how the locals love, feel, and breathe. It felt like someone put a window in their world and we are watching them as they lived their lives. I liked how they how the differences multi-culturally – I especially liked the scenes wherein Evelyn interacted with her friends: all Filipino maids working in Hong Kong.  With that said, I wish there was a little deviation from the formula – a little surprise would have been welcome. Plus, that melancholy piano score started to grate after a while – it felt like they were playing from the exact same album that they play at my local Chinese massage place.