Love in Hong Kong - Pauline Teutscher (1983) - Man Cheong Street, Yau Ma Tei

A big thanks to Dave in TST for letting me know and providing me with this next title. Just when I think that the "HK-shot semi-erotic" film genre has been exhausted (I've already covered Emmanuelle: L'antivierge, Black Cobra Woman, Vanessa, Felicity, Les Fruits de La Passion, Love Circles and La Fine Dell'innocenza, so nothing is below my "locations" purview) another pops up out of the blue, so to speak. It's a good job because there are a couple of new locations here that make it worthwhile.

I'm not sure why Pauline Teutscher doesn't get top billing seeing as she is the main character in the film. She plays a journalist, Julie, who has been tasked by her boss to help stimulate the circulation of their newspaper by getting hold of something that will sell papers. For the film this means getting her two mates to Hong Kong and then getting them snapped in compromising positions with a variety of men.

The film starts with Julie standing on Man Cheong Road, in front of the Ferry Point Estate, getting hold of a scoop about some collapsing buildings. In the background is the old typhoon shelter - before it was completely reclaimed - and across the water you can just make out the Yau Ma Tei Police Station and buildings beyond.

The Confidence Man JP: The Movie - Masami Nagasawa (2019) - Hong Kong International Airport, Chek Lap Kok

In a brief scene as the gang give up the con and instead try to reunite Ran Riu with her estranged husband, she considers going way with him to Canada and makes her way to the airport. There are a couple of shots of planes taxiing around the various bits of the runway apron as she looks on.
 

The Confidence Man JP: The Movie - Masami Nagasawa (2019) - Kowloon Waterfront, Tsim Sha Tsui

Several scenes were shot along the waterfront in TST when Jessie and Ran Riu (the "Ice Princess") go out on a date and also later as Ran Riu makes her way to the airport. The bottom image is actually a mashup. She's supposed to be at the airport but this was obviously filmed in Tsim Sha Tsui (you can tell by the railings) with the control tower superimposed later.

The sad thing about the shots around the clocktower is that both of these actors independently committed suicide the very next year. RIP Haruma Miura and Yûko Takeuchi.

The Confidence Man JP: The Movie - Masami Nagasawa (2019) - Tai Au Mun Road, Clearwater Bay

Although the billionaire's house is located on Ngam Tau Sha, the road route to the property apparently includes driving down the dead-end Tai Au Mun Road along the Clearwater Bay peninsula. The village located on the water there is Po Toi O with the golf club on the hill behind.

The Confidence Man JP: The Movie - Masami Nagasawa (2019) - Ngam Tau Sha, Sai Kung

The gang's target is a reclusive billionaire business woman who lives in a large mansion somewhere on the coast. It turns out that her mansion is the one previously seen in Man of Tai Chi. This property (or properties, as there are two located here) is located on a bit of land that was previously used for target practice by the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. I was recently told by a Sai Kung-based friend that the owner of one of these properties just sold it for several hundred million HK dollars.

The Confidence Man JP: The Movie - Masami Nagasawa (2019) - Woosung Street, Yau Ma Tei

One of the last shots in the film is of a street cleaner sweeping around Woosung Street with the old dai pai dong stalls on the corner of Pak Hoi Street on the other side of the road. This place was popular with tourists and locals alike but the Govt didn't like the tent like structure the stalls were all housed in and have replaced it with a modern dedicated building with a proper roof and walls. In other words, made it like every other restaurant in HK - once again missing the whole point of a place's fundamental appeal.

The Confidence Man JP: The Movie - Masami Nagasawa (2019) - Harbour Grand Kowloon, Hung Hom

The hotel rooftop where Dako meets Jessie is the Harbour Grand Hotel in Hung Hom. The hotel has been seen a few times before on the blog but not from the rooftop.

The Confidence Man JP: The Movie - Masami Nagasawa (2019) - Lung Wo Road, Central

Jessie drops the girls off on Lung Wo Road in front of City Hall. In fact, their location is basically where the old Star Ferry pier was located before it was demolished and the harbourfront reclaimed.

The Confidence Man JP: The Movie - Masami Nagasawa (2019) - Expo Drive, Wanchai

After almost being found out by their target, Jessie gives the pair a lift back to Hong Kong Island and we see his car as it emerges from the underpass beneath the HK Convention Centre.

The Confidence Man JP: The Movie - Masami Nagasawa (2019) - Revenue Tower, Wanchai

After the appearance of Dako's arch nemesis (and former boyfriend), Jessie, the two retire to a rooftop to discuss their requisite con plans. After taking all the angles into consideration, I believe this is the top of Revenue Tower in Wanchai, but happy to hear alternative suggestions. 

The Confidence Man JP: The Movie - Masami Nagasawa (2019) - Ning Po Street, Yau Ma Tei

The scammers put part of their confidence plan into practice when they stop their target's car on Ning Po Street next to the junction with Battery Street.

The Confidence Man JP: The Movie - Masami Nagasawa (2019) - Shatin Racecourse, Shatin

The gang plan to make contact with their target at the races, so off we go to the Hong Kong Jockey Club's racecourse at Shatin. Although in the film it is known as the "Lo Fu Jockey Club".

The Confidence Man JP: The Movie - Masami Nagasawa (2019) - Quarry Bay Street, Quarry Bay

Perhaps another nod, or maybe just coincidental, to Transformers: Age of Extinction filming locations is the inclusion of a brief scene shot in Quarry Bay Street. Here it is in Transformers: Age of Extinction. Although in the image below we are looking in the opposite direction compared to Transformers. 

The Confidence Man JP: The Movie - Masami Nagasawa (2019) - Sam Ka Tsuen, Kowloon

A fair bit of the film was shot in and around the Sam Ka Tsuen Typhoon Shelter. Coincidentally, I was wandering around here with Gwulo founder, David Bellis, just back in January to try and locate an antique granite pier.

The Confidence Man JP: The Movie - Masami Nagasawa (2019) - I-Feng Mansions, To Kwa Wan

I mentioned how I thought the crew behind The Confidence Man JP: The Movie might have copied Transformers: Age of Extinction, and here's why: the rooftop scenes supposedly based above the gang's hostel HQ in Quarry Bay, were actually shot at I-Feng Mansions in To Kwa Wan.This is the exact same building rooftop used by Michael Baye for the Transformer's shoot. Weird eh? It wouldn't surprise me if the two films used the same or similar local crews, either that or someone from the HK shoot had read my old blog posts about the rooftop switcheroo that Baye pulled in Transformers.

The Confidence Man JP: The Movie - Masami Nagasawa (2019) - Oceanic Mansion, Quarry Bay

I know this large block is actually several discrete smaller blocks (Oceanic & Montane Mansions + Fook Cheong, Yik Cheong & Yik Fat Buildings) but I referred to it as Oceanic Mansions when it first came to prominance following a starring role in Transformers: Age of Extinction, so for consistency I will stick to that.convention for the title.

In this film it is the location of the hostel where the gang set up their HQ and the main location shots are of the podium level located between Montane Mansion and the Yick Cheong Building.

This isn't the only way that this film copied Transformers: Age of Extinction and it makes me think that the Japanese film makers may have been reading this blog at some point...

The Confidence Man JP: The Movie - Masami Nagasawa (2019) - Temple Street, Yau Ma Tei

The gang convene to eat food and discuss the background of their target at a dai pai dong on Temple Street.

This last shot, with its elevated view, was almost certainly shot from the Yau Ma Tei Multi-storey carpark that has only just been demolished. The Govt is building another highway through the area and the carpark was in the way, so...goodbye carpark.

The Confidence Man JP: The Movie - Masami Nagasawa (2019) - Nathan Road, Yau Ma Tei

Despite pointing to an overhanging sign on Shanghai Street, when the group ducks the sign they are back on Nathan Road, this time in Yau Ma Tei just next to the junction with Ning Po Street.

The Confidence Man JP: The Movie - Masami Nagasawa (2019) - Shanghai Street, Yau Ma Tei

Despite being a very quick sequence, the scene was obviously shot over a much longer period as the view point switches between Nathan Road and Shanghai Street in quick succession. Below is looking south along Shanghai Street from the junction with Saigon Street. The sign for the Tak Sang pawnshop can be seen on the left.

The Confidence Man JP: The Movie - Masami Nagasawa (2019) - Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

Next scene is of the group as they ride an open top tour bus along the TST section of Nathan Road. You can see iSquare on the right.

The Confidence Man JP: The Movie - Masami Nagasawa (2019) - View over North Point

Another part of the montage that supposedly shows all the buildings with "Sagitarius Group" signage all over them is this shot. This particular view is at the Quarry Bay-end of North Point with the buildings around the junction of King's Road and Java Road. In the top image on the far right (with some weird structure on the flat roof) is the Java Road Government Offices where Infernal Affairs was filmed. And in the lower image the Kerry Centre is the building that has loomed into view from the left. The oval of the signage neatly covers the real symbol for the Kuok Group emblem (as in Robert Kuok, chairman of Shangri-La Hotel and Kerry Holdings groups).