If you can see through the sheer eighties-ness of this film, you'll find hidden gold. I checked it out recently, being a big fan of Wong Kar-Wai's riotous "Chungking Express" and masterful "In the Mood for Love", and having been impressed by Andy Lau's performance in the excellent "Infernal Affairs".
Wah (Andy Lau), seething with energy and anger, is trying to juggle life as a small-time gangster 'soldier', with keeping his wayward 'little brother' Fly (Jacky Cheung) under control, plus holding onto his relationship with a girl who's looking for a security he can't give her. Into this messy world, Ngor (Maggie Cheung), a sick cousin from a quiet holiday island across the water, is unexpectedly thrust on him for a few days' stay. He's a moody night owl, asleep through the day while she perches on the periphery of his clouded vision. But despite his brusqueness, in her quiet attentions to him she wins his notice and their bond is confirmed when she silently assists him after he crashes back into his apartment one night, badly injured from another scrape caused by the troublesome Fly. With his life starting to crash around him, Wah finally realises that what he wants and needs is right there, if he will only take it. But his lifestyle is incompatible with the simple happiness he finds just within his reach, and something has to give.
What might otherwise be a pretty run-of-the-mill Hong Kong gangster flick is elevated by the quality of its director and its stars. Lau was a huge star and pin-up even then, and co-star Maggie Cheung's simplicity and underplaying nicely offset Lau's electric energy. Stars and director are alike much improved with age. Wong Kar-Wai's romantic sensibility is irrepressible even in the midst of what can be quite violent fare. But I guess it's really his fundamental approach to film-making his deconstructed storytelling and camera-work and his mastery of mood that has earned him attention and accolades worldwide. Sorry if I frankly prefer the former. His style isn't quite fully fledged here, and isn't fully successful, but it has stirring moments. Recommended mostly as a glance back into time with the benefit of hindsight; a bit like looking at "The Duel" to see the germs of Spielberg's ascendancy.
Wah (Andy Lau), seething with energy and anger, is trying to juggle life as a small-time gangster 'soldier', with keeping his wayward 'little brother' Fly (Jacky Cheung) under control, plus holding onto his relationship with a girl who's looking for a security he can't give her. Into this messy world, Ngor (Maggie Cheung), a sick cousin from a quiet holiday island across the water, is unexpectedly thrust on him for a few days' stay. He's a moody night owl, asleep through the day while she perches on the periphery of his clouded vision. But despite his brusqueness, in her quiet attentions to him she wins his notice and their bond is confirmed when she silently assists him after he crashes back into his apartment one night, badly injured from another scrape caused by the troublesome Fly. With his life starting to crash around him, Wah finally realises that what he wants and needs is right there, if he will only take it. But his lifestyle is incompatible with the simple happiness he finds just within his reach, and something has to give.
What might otherwise be a pretty run-of-the-mill Hong Kong gangster flick is elevated by the quality of its director and its stars. Lau was a huge star and pin-up even then, and co-star Maggie Cheung's simplicity and underplaying nicely offset Lau's electric energy. Stars and director are alike much improved with age. Wong Kar-Wai's romantic sensibility is irrepressible even in the midst of what can be quite violent fare. But I guess it's really his fundamental approach to film-making his deconstructed storytelling and camera-work and his mastery of mood that has earned him attention and accolades worldwide. Sorry if I frankly prefer the former. His style isn't quite fully fledged here, and isn't fully successful, but it has stirring moments. Recommended mostly as a glance back into time with the benefit of hindsight; a bit like looking at "The Duel" to see the germs of Spielberg's ascendancy.