Underplayed Gems

The Stunt Woman (1996)

The Stunt Woman poster
Original title
阿金
Directed by
Ann Hui
Genre
drama film
Country
Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
Runtime
1h 35m
Rated
IIA
Rating
7.2 of 10 from 16 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A female stunt worker in Hong Kong navigates the risky and often thankless work behind movie action scenes. The film shows her friendships with other stunt performers and follows her choices about career and personal life.

grittyurgentgroundedbehind-the-scenesdanger-filledrespectfulunderstatedbittersweet

What happens

The Stunt Woman (Chinese: 阿金; Jyutping: Ah-kam) is a 1996 Hong Kong action film directed by Ann Hui, and produced by Raymond Chow, Catherine Hun and Ka-Foo Lau. It stars Michelle Yeoh and Sammo Hung as stunt workers toiling behind the scenes of the film industry with little recognition of the work they do or the danger it entails. The film's postscript details the serious injury which Yeoh suffered after misjudging a stunt leaping from an overpass onto a moving truck, leaving her seriously injured. The film is dedicated to her, and to the other stunt workers who inspired the film. The film was rated Cat II A. It opened in Hong Kong on 10 October, 1996 and grossed HK $1,163,320 at the box office. In 2023 Criterion Channel featured it as part of their Michelle Yeoh Kicks Ass collection. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems. Not quite it? You can browse by genre, country and year, or take this one into the 3D catalogue and ask the Catbot for something closer.