Fatal Attraction Hong Kong style? Well, for it to qualify as that we'd have to see and spot insane inclusions worthy of the unique 80s/90s Hong Kong stamp (for maximum effect: kung-fu, comedy, mahjong, ghosts, rapes, melodrama) so what IS Quenchless Desire? It's definitely more West than East but also within such a busy production period for ANY Category III rated material, one time director Tin Daai-Pang's infidelity thriller qualifies as execution of the solid kind.
Car salesman Pei (Sammy Cheng) follows his colleague Sunny's (Hoh Man-Gui) advice and decides to fool around while the wife is away. Laying eyes on and connecting to Lu Chi-Ling (Wong Wing-Fong - The Beauty's Evil Roses), after Pei feels he's done, she is definitely not. First she puts a chastity belt on him. Soon she invades his family life...
Comparing to the West, it may be TV-thriller material but Tin Daai-Pang delivers an above average looking and fast moving production for the market its placed in. Devoid of surprises in terms of characters, the movie almost delights in the fact that it's portraying the male as weak when sex is in the air. Plus characters like Sunny claims it's part of the fun in life, to betray the trust of your loved ones (this is a character that keeps a panties collection in his briefcase) but it doesn't redeem Pei not resisting the seduction of Lu Chi-Ling's. Family life is after all akin to a pretty fine unit and the relationship loving and tender. The filmmakers takes no sides here, although the family doesn't deserve to be put in jeopardy.
It DOES become involving as Tin Daai-Pang delivers the expected with an assured hand, avoiding most Hong Kong excesses (the penis being run over at the beginning isn't even THAT out there. Kingdom Yuen in a psycho cameo during this scene) and his leading lady does a competent job with the double act that is Lu Chi-Ling. Not only is Wong Wing-Hong incredibly gorgeous, you do buy her mental frustration after another rejection and it does become a bit scary.
A lot scary would've meant Quenchless Desire could've risen through the decent grade but the indecency and infidelity on display is comforting 90 minutes and a vehicle from the extensive cannon of softcore porn movies from Hong Kong that didn't need to try THAT hard. Appreciation all round that Tin Daai-Pang did.
reviewed by Kenneth Brorsson
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