The Rooftop Original Movie Soundtrack
Various artists

The Jay Chou-directed movie was a disappointment – a frothy candy-coloured confection that ultimately fell flat.
At least on the soundtrack, you can just zoom in on the tracks you like and skip the blah moments.
So make a beeline for the dance-rap of Bo Ye, the name of a Chinese physician character played by Eric Tsang.
Vincent Fang’s lyrics are fun and playful and go well with Chou’s music and the flirty choreography in the film: “I hit hit hit your pressure point (Eat grapes, without spitting the grapes’ skin, grapes can’t be eaten).”
And the title track is an ensemble musical number that sets the scene and has a cheery energy to it.
Different characters are swiftly sketched out with a lyric or two and the sense of camaraderie among the denizens of The Rooftop comes through: “I deliver goods, I carry tiles/I hide from creditors, looking good meanwhile/All day long this is how we while away the time.”
Ignore the insipid ballad that is Shutter Slow Dance though. Newcomer Li Xin’ai is a bland presence on screen and things do not improve much on disc. It is not the kind of song you want to belt from the rooftop.
(ST)