Naked Ambition (2003)

Good Movie, But Lacked Substance...

This was, I believe, supposed to be a biographical piece but fails in many instances.

I saw this a long time ago without English subtitles, and it seemed a typical 'R'-rated movie: lots of topless women, especially in the interview scenes and some simulated sex along the way.

The cinematography is good and music keep the moments light and humorous...

After finally finding a English-subbed version, it is very hilarious and guys will get a kick out of the sexual humor it entails.

But it still misses the man point of why women become prostitutes, massage girls, etc.

It starts out with two guys fired from another magazine and decide to make a Hong Kong porno magazine, with run-ins with the Hong Kong police, Hong Kong mafia, and all the hurdles of starting a new magazine...but the two guys start 'partaking' of their advertising clients while ignoring their girlfriends, girlfriends that sacrificed in order for them to get the magazine up and running in the first place.

Andy (Louis Koo) and John (Eason Chan) also start fighting over content and the magazine's direction. Andy loses his girlfriend and decides to replace her with someone that "needs him" rather than the other way around and John gets tired of Andy always having the final say with his technical work being what 'made' the magazine in the first place and goes here his abilities are better appreciated.

Don't get me wrong; as a guy, I enjoyed the topless women running around and if that is all you want to watch it for, be my guest!

The guys seemed to forget all the women they had or met in their magazine buildup. Another sad fact is with the comedy background, they could have made a social statement as to WHY women in this world have to turn to massages and prostitution in the first place in society in general, and Hong Kong in particular.

I also didn't like the ending, which seemed 'forced' by the director and writer; that is why i umped it down to a '7' overall as a movie.

RE-WATCH: only occasionally; there are other movies that show a little skin that do a better job at making a social statement...
since there is no age restrictions on the internet-posted movies online, young guys should enjoy it a lot!

It is not what it did that I gave it a lower rating; it is what it DIDN'T DO that killed a better rating from me.

Read More