Wilson Yip, 2000
8.0
Francis Ng (and his re-teaming with director Wilson Yip) is what drew me to this film. i found him refreshing in Bullets Over Summer and wanted to see what else he could do. well, i hit the jackpot here. he plays this spastic punk with such comedic verve that it was hard to believe it was the same actor i'd seen before in a more mellowed out role. he simply goes all ou here. but the effect is well thought out because the film veers into an entirely different territory once the wheels start turning and we get an accomplished human drama that is extremely funny, touching, and forlorn. and Wilson Yip, thanks to his actors, is able to pull off all of these effortlessly. Francis Ng and Sandra Ng Kwan Yue bring an honesty to their roles that is laced with an underlying sadness - without ever falling into the melodramatic. (as for my Francis Ng love - it grew (nay, expanded) so much with this film. i could literally watch his face as he sat in silence doing nothing but stare into space. he gives such a fascinating performance.) and when the banal backstory rears its usually ugly head it doesn't even feel out-of-place but is rather welcomed because it is so well-(and maturely-)handled. a touching drama that is surprisingly easy to take; i can easily recommend this one.
Posted by Anonymous | 1:03 AM
