spotlight: "the price of greed"

I always get excited when my favorite producers [namely Mui Siu Ching and Tsui Yu On] start work on a new series. In the case of The Price of Greed, I was very intrigued by the concept and "feel" of the series since the costume fitting. Everything from the premise of the storyline and characterizations to the title [Cheen Fong Bak Gai means "a thousand lies, a hundred plots"] seemed very interesting to me. I couldn't wait to watch the series. I was apprehensive and doubtful of the female cast, but Price has two capable male leads and a strong supporting cast.

I was disappointed when Price was warehoused because I wanted Producer Tsui to get another shot at having another hit post-Virtues of Harmony after the deservedly mediocre-performing The Biter Bitten [which I disliked aside from a certain cast member's scenes because it has a poor, inconceivable, illogical script]. I was real confident about Price; however, when reviews started coming in that the series was "boring" and "draggy," I was disheartened. Ultimately, this caused me to lose all faith I had in the series as well as with Producer Tsui. However, some people praised Price and many agreed the second half was pretty good. Therefore, I knew I couldn't give the series up. I couldn't deny one of my favorite producers a chance to prove himself.

I reluctantly started watching Price. I wasn't excited about it and had little hopes about the series. My pessimism soon changed once I started watching the series. I was shocked to discover that I was quite enjoying Price. The series was absolutely gorgeous on an aesthetic level, interesting, and charming. By the time I reached the second half of the series, I knew I was in love with Price. Things just got better and better and I was on the edge of my seat dying to watch the next episode. Price is a truly spectacular series with wonderful writing. It is the best series I've seen in a long time (since Forensic Heroes). I am shocked by how much this underrated and low-budget series has impressed and satisfied my thirst for great entertainment.

Strong points about Price...

The storyline is truly great. It's clever, witty, and poignant. It keeps you guessing. You never know what the "truth" really is and what's a "lie." It's exciting and really engages the viewer.

The relationship and chemistry among "To" (Bosco Wong - his performance was likable enough, but uninspiring and rather bland [possibly because Bosco himself for whatever reason is not fond of Price] and his hair looked really weird and out-of-place for the time period), "Mooi" (Shirley Yeung), and "Lo Leung" (the incredible and under-used and under-rated Kingdom Yuen) was charming, touching, humorous, and incredibly sweet! I loved watching their interactions. It provided a nice contrast to the dark drama that was happening with the con-artists and the Lam family.

There are lots of breath-taking scenes that are well-shot and memorable. Seriously, there are some very nice, innovative scenes in this series. For example, I loved the scene of how "Ping" (Kate Tsui) and "Fung" (Sammul Chan - I've really warmed up to Sammul as his acting has improved a lot and he did justice to his role) met again; the whole "candle lighting" and "Christmas" theme was really pretty. I must say the costumes adorned by the cast give the series a very "glamorous" feel.

The insights on conning are fascinating. You will learn quite a bit!

The way the series is executed, filmed, and paced is so good (particularly in the second half). The way Price managed to make the series so suspenseful and exciting up until the very end was really commendable. I was literally at the edge of my seat for the last few episodes.

The ending was good. Unlike most other TVB endings these days, it wasn't rushed. Everything was solved and it was logical and suitable. It was a wonderful ending to match a great series.

Weak points about Price...

In the first 7 episodes with "Ping" going crazy, they kept showing her nightmare over and over again. Not only does the nightmare make "Ping" go crazy, it makes the viewer go crazy too seeing the repetitive scenes over and over again. Although her nightmare was symbolic, it was too excessive.

Overall, there were too many unnecessary flashbacks. I always hate watching flashbacks (except for when they are actually important). Price overdid it on the flashbacks. They kept showing "Ping" thinking back on her fond, "loving" memories with "Fung" [I mean, I understand their point in showing her reflect on her memories because she truly loved "Fung" and had difficulty accepting that he lied to her the whole time... but come on!]. They also practically replayed every single encounter of "Fung" and Vivien Yeo's character in that one flashback when they got together. I was a bit bored seeing all of the flashbacks, especially when the current happenings in the plot were so exciting.

Last, but not least, the acting is weak on the female side. With stronger actresses, I think Price would have been more convincing and even better. Shirley, Kate, and Vivien did "acceptable" [I use this term loosely] jobs in their roles. I commend Shirley for learning sign language and the violin. She still over-acted and her acting was somehow the same as other series, but I have to say that she is really adorable in this series. You can't help but like her because of her character. Kate was stunningly pretty! I think it was all of her lovely costumes, but in any case, she looked really radiant and glamorous. Her acting wasn't convincing for such a challenging role, but Kate did put in her efforts. Vivien is cute, but I am still not a fan of her acting. She acts the same as she did in her debut in Sunshine Heartbeat - shy, reserved, and almost afraid to speak. I know she's working hard on learning/perfecting her Cantonese, but the language barrier really affects her performance. It was just too unnatural and fake. Luckily, her scenes were limited.

Final thoughts
I highly recommend The Price of Greed. I enjoyed every minute of it. It is a strong show. You must have patience with the series and be observant in order to appreciate it. Don't let the seemingly "slow" beginning discourage you [I didn't think it was "slow" nor "boring," but I can understand those people who thought it was]. Price is a rewarding series and a truly a gem.

It is a fantastic series worthy of a viewing! It far exceeded my expectations and really has won a place as one of my favorite series. Price is a commendable effort from Producer Tsui and has made me confident in his story-telling capability again. Price may not have breath-taking foreign scenes or big A-list stars, but it has what most TVB series of recent times lack - which is heart and it managed to hook me into the storyline. It doesn't need all of those "flashy" things to distract viewers and hide a lack of storyline because Price has a strong script with a point to tell and it is genuine and meaningful. It is really satisfying through and through - I love this series!

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