Marriage with a Fool 2006

Ah Wah [Alex Fong Lik-Sun] and Bo [Stephy Tang Lai-Yan] are a newly married couple living happily together. One day, Ah Wah is out promoting his “Pets Funeral Service” on a busy street in Causeway Bay when he spots Josephine [Pace Wu Pui-Tsi], his former tutor, who has fallen on hard times after being abandoned by her boyfriend. Their chance reunion rekindles old feelings, and as they reconnect, they find themselves drawn to each other despite the complications of his marriage. What starts as a fragile friendship soon blossoms into something deeper, and both of them begin to question the boundaries they thought they had set.

Bo yearns for a escape to Japan to see snow, a make‑or‑break trip that would also serve as a kind of fresh start. The discounted itinerary tempts her, but Ah Wah hesitates because Bo still owes money to his parents, making the expense feel even heavier. He suggests Shenzhen instead, hoping for a cheaper option, but Bo’s frustration boils over and she storms out of the travel agency, setting the stage for a widening rift between them. The once‑perfect union starts to fray as mounting disagreements pull them apart.

In a bid to salvage some sense of normalcy, Ah Wah follows Bo home and a heated confrontation erupts on the street. Not wanting to be left homeless, he seeks shelter at Josephine’s house, where the mood grows increasingly heavy. There, he drinks beer as Josephine confesses how much she loves him, and the moment leads to a night that changes the course of all their lives. Bo’s anger and hurt drive her to move out and seek refuge with a friend, while she continues to navigate her own path in life.

Meanwhile, Bo’s job as a karaoke venue manager brings her into contact with Philip [Philip Ng Wan-Lung], a quirky man who is “stealing” toilet paper not out of mischief but as part of a study on toilet paper quality. Bo follows him to a restaurant and listens as he explains his unusual research, and despite the odd start they form a budding friendship that adds another layer of complexity to the couple’s already tangled situation.

Family visits complicate matters further: Ah Wah’s parents come to see the couple, and the two pretend they are still in love for appearances’ sake. The pretense only deepens the sense that things are not as simple as they seem, and soon they announce that they want a divorce, leaving everyone stunned by the strain and fragility of their relationship.

A brief moment in the elevator hall crystallizes the situation: Ah Wah is with Josephine, while Bo is with Philip, and their brief exchange underscores how intertwined their lives remain.

Bo eventually decides to work outside Hong Kong, but the city’s limited taxis threaten to derail her plans. Ah Wah vows to secure a taxi, and if he cannot, they will divorce. He dials several times, pleading with the drivers and laying bare the depth of his commitment to their marriage. Tears fill his eyes, and Bo finally sees how serious he is about their life together, which moves her to tears as well and brings them back to each other.

They embark on a discounted honeymoon in Japan, capturing memories in photographs and displaying them in their living room as a sign of renewed happiness. Yet the film’s ending strips away any neat resolution: Josephine and Ah Wah continue to exchange messages, and Bo and Philip keep their quiet connection alive through small, secret signals. Josephine texts Ah Wah, and Bo writes a note on a purple tissue paper to Philip. Afraid of being discovered, Ah Wah deletes a reply, while Bo, wary of his reactions to her communications with Philip, closes the door on the moment, leaving the story with an open, unresolved feeling.