Tony Leung Chiu-Wai
Master Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Kar-Wai directed this lyrical, dream-like martial arts epic. A famously troubled shoot, the film took two years and 40 million dollars to produce (a shocking sum for a national cinema populated with low-budget quickies) and features a virtual who's who of the Hong Kong film world. Conceived as a prequel to the popular martial arts novel The Eagle-Shooting Hero by Jin Yong, the movie is less a straightforward action thriller than a visually striking meditation on memory and love. It nominally centers on Ouyang Feng (Leslie Cheung), who ekes out a lonely existence as an itinerant hired sword. Getting on in years and tormented by memories of a lost love, he also works an agent for other mercenary assassins from his remote desert abode. Ouyang's old friend and fellow swordsman, Huang Yaoshi (Tony Leung Kar-Fai, who starred in the The Lover) drowns his lovelorn misery in a magical wine that makes him forget. Later, a mysterious young man named Murong Yang (Brigitte Lin) hires Ouyang to kill his sister's unfaithful suitor, Huang Yaoshi. The following day, that spurned sister, Murong Yin (Lin again), hires Ouyang to protect her dearly beloved. Meanwhile, Hong Qi (pop star Jacky Cheung) finds some redemption for a life of killing by accepting a poor girl's offer to avenge her brother's death -- a task that Ouyang brusquely shunned. In another subplot, a master swordsman (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai) is slowly going blind. He agrees to defend a village from horse thieves so that he can afford to go home and see his wife before his eyesight fails completely. This film is one of the most celebrated examples of 1990s Hong Kong cinema: it won multiple awards in its native Hong Kong, along with a Golden Osella for Best Cinematography at the 1994 Venice Film Festival.
In the years following Ashes of Time's initial theatrical release, the original negatives were lost and multiple versions of the film began to crop up all across the globe. As a result, director Wong Kar-wai longed to compile these various versions into a restored, remastered, and definitive final cut. With Ashes of Time Redux, the director restructures the film according to seasons, effectively clarifying the central narratives, and digitally colorizes the film to render cinematographer Christopher Doyle's masterful imagery all the more lavish and intoxicatingly gorgeous. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
In the years following Ashes of Time's initial theatrical release, the original negatives were lost and multiple versions of the film began to crop up all across the globe. As a result, director Wong Kar-wai longed to compile these various versions into a restored, remastered, and definitive final cut. With Ashes of Time Redux, the director restructures the film according to seasons, effectively clarifying the central narratives, and digitally colorizes the film to render cinematographer Christopher Doyle's masterful imagery all the more lavish and intoxicatingly gorgeous. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leslie Cheung, Tony Leung Kar-Fai, (more)
- 2008
John Woo's historical drama The Battle of Red Cliff re-creates the legendary Chinese battle from 208 A.D. that led directly to the end of the Han Dynasty. The film charts how different factions joined forces to create this turning point in history. Chow Yun-Fat stars in the film that is adapted from part of the beloved Chinese book Romance of the Three Kingdoms. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Takeshi Kaneshiro, (more)
Academy Award-winning director Ang Lee adapts this Eileen Chang story set in World War II-era Shanghai that details the political intrigue surrounding a powerful political figure named Mr. Yee (Tony Leung) in Japanese-occupied Shanghai. Spanning the late '30s and early '40s, the movie introduces us to Hong Kong teen Wong Chia Chi (Tang Wei), a shy college freshman who finds her calling in a drama society devoted to patriotic plays. But the troupe's leader, Kuang Yu Min (Wang Leehom), isn't just a theater maven -- he's a revolutionary as well, and he's devoted to carrying out a bold plan to assassinate top Japanese collaborator Mr. Yee. Each student has an important role to play, and Wong puts herself in a dangerous position as Mrs. Mak; she befriends Mr. Yee's wife (Joan Chen), and slowly gains trust before tempting him into an affair. While at first the plan goes exactly as scripted, things suddenly take a deadly turn and Wong is emigrated from Hong Kong. Later, in 1941, the occupation shows no signs of ceasing and Wong is simply drifting through her days in Shanghai. Much to her surprise, the former actress finds Kuang requesting that she resume the role of Mrs. Mak. Now, as Wong again gains intimate access to her dangerous prey, she must struggle with her own identity in order to pull off the performance of a lifetime. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Tang Wei, (more)
- 2007
A man trying to run away from a personal tragedy finds out the hard way how much one of his best friends has changed in this action drama. In 2003, Lau Ching-hei (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) and Bong (Takeshi Kaneshiro) are a pair of police detectives who are both partners and close pals. While Bong respects Lau's abilities as a detective, he's wary of his friend's uncertain temper, and he has enough problems of his own to deal with after the suicide of his long-time girlfriend. Three years later, Bong has left the force to become a private investigator and has developed a serious drinking problem, while Lau is one of the top detectives with the Hong Kong police and has married Susan (Xu Jinglei), a respected reporter. Susan and Lau approach Bong and ask him for help with a case -- Susan's father Chow (Yueh Hua) was murdered, and while the team investigating the crime has found two of the men responsible, a third culprit is still at large. Bong agrees to help, but what he and Susan don't know is that Lau is the missing man who helped kill Chow, and he's playing an elaborate game of cat and mouse with his fellow police officers as well as his best friend. Also featuring Shu Qi, Emme Wong and Chapman To, Seung Sing (aka Confession Of Pain) was directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak and written by Mak and Felix Chong, the same team responsible for the international hit Infernal Affairs. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Takeshi Kaneshiro, (more)
Hero and Infernal Affairs star Tony Leung takes the led in cinematographer-turned-director Jingle Ma's action thriller about a Japanese National Security agent and a thief who find their plans for splitting a lucrative reward complicated by the appearance of an unanticipated adversary. Japanese National Security agent Lam (Tony Leung) and skilled thief JJ ($Qi Shu) may operate on opposing sides of the law, though their mutual love is all the excuse they need to enter into a tenuous, and dangerous, alliance. It seems that counterfeiters are making a mint by forging U.S. currency. The powers that be are not pleased, and now they're offering a $30,000,000 reward for anyone who turns in the plates used to produce the funny money. Lam and JJ are confident that they can recover the plates and retire on the reward money, though they didn't anticipate the appearance of scheming Embassy staffer Owen (Richie Jen). When Owen steals the plates and runs away to Korea, it's up to Lam and JJ to ensure that he doesn't profit from all of their hard work. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Qi Shu, (more)
- 2004
The budding romance between a girl blinded in a childhood accident and a dating agency owner who has inexplicably lost his own eyesight is contrasted against the tender relationship between a heartbroken young woman and the man who was mysteriously guided to her by forces he cannot comprehend in this life-affirming romance starring Tony Leung. As a young girl, Cheung (Miriam Yeung) was left blind following a tragic accident. But although she has since led a contented life with her doting father, it's obvious that she still longs for true companionship. One day, when Cheung's father happens across an ad for a dating agency, the girl decides to take a chance and sign up. Though scheming agency owner Ho (Leung) remains doubtful that he will ever find Cheung a date, he accepts the challenge regardless and tries every means at his disposal to find the girl a suitable mate. Despite his repeated failures, however, Ho gradually feels himself growing closer to Cheung over time. Then, one morning, Ho awakens to realize that he has suddenly lost his sense of sight. Though no doctor he talks to can explain why Ho has suddenly gone blind, sympathetic Cheung does her best to help him adjust to his sightless new world - her optimism proving an indispensable source of support for the once swaggering matchmaker. Meanwhile, across town, a young man faces his own set of romantic hurdles as he makes his way to a woman with a broken heart. Perhaps, somehow, both couples will find the strength to overcome their fears and finally make love work. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Miriam Yeung, (more)
Hong Kong-based filmmaker Wong Kar-Wai moves back and forth in time as he reexamines and amplifies the themes from his film In the Mood for Love in this offbeat romantic drama. Opening in the year 2046, in which a man named Tak (Takuya Kimura) attempts to persuades wjw 1967 (Faye Wong) to travel back in time with him, the film soon shifts to the year 1966, in which Chow Mo-wan (Tony Leung Chiu-wai), a struggling author, asks the woman he loves, Su Lizhen (Gong Li) to sail with him from Singapore to Hong Kong on Christmas Eve. She declines, and over the next three years, we return to Chow Mo-wan on December 24 as he finds himself with another woman each year -- lighthearted Lulu (Carina Lau) in 1967, eccentric hotel heiress Wang Jingwen (Faye Wong) in 1968, and Bai Ling (Zhang Ziyi), a high-class prostitute, in 1969. In time, Chow Mo-wan and Wang Jingwen become reacquainted, and a love affair blooms, but the fates are not on their side. 2046 had its world premiere at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. A re-edited version featuring an additional 4 minutes of footage, but minus sequences by martial arts coordinator Tung Wai) premiered in late 2004. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Gong Li, (more)
From filmmaker Vincent Kok, this Hong Kong romantic comedy centers on a unique battle between two competing masters of the art of Feng Shui. Looking to put an end to a life of endless misfortune, Yip (Miriam Yeung) hooks up with Lai (Tony Leung) with hopes that his knowledge of Feng Shui can help improve her luck. As Yip and Lai begin to fall for one another, it becomes more and more clear that Yip is the victim of the dastardly machinations of Lai's rival. My Lucky Star was originally titled Hung Wun Chiu Yun. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
Infernal Affairs III picks up where the first film left off. Ming (Andy Lau) is cleared of any charges involving Yan's (Tony Leung) death, and is eventually assigned to the Internal Affairs division. He discovers that another cop, Yeung (Leon Lai of Fallen Angels), quickly rising through the ranks of the police department, has a mysterious link to Shen (Chen Daoming of Hero), who was apparently Sam's (Eric Tsang) connection to the mainland. Ming strongly suspects that Yeung is another one of Sam's moles, and is determined to expose him, while keeping his own connection to Sam a secret. It's a tricky proposition because Yeung also seems to suspect Ming, and appears to have the same goal in mind. With the help of Dr. Lee (Kelly Chen), Yan's psychiatrist, Ming looks deeper into Yan's final days, and flashbacks explore the undercover cop's dealings with both Yeung and Shen. Eventually, Ming finds an incriminating tape of Sam conversing with his mole, and has a climactic confrontation with Yeung. Anthony Wong and Chapman To also reprise their roles from the first two films in flashbacks. Infernal Affairs III was shown, along with the rest of the trilogy, at the 2004 New York Film Festival, presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Andy Lau, (more)
- 2002
- PG13
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Hero is two-time Academy Award nominee Zhang Yimou's directorial attempt at exploring the concept of a Chinese hero. During the peak of their Warring States period, China was divided into seven kingdoms all fighting for supremacy. Most determined to dominate China was the kingdom of Qin, whose king (Chen Daoming) was wholly obsessed with becoming the first emperor of China. Though he was an assassination target for many, none of his would-be killers inspired as much fear as the legendary assassins Broken Sword (Tony Leung), Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung), and Sky (Donnie Yen). In hopes of thwarting his death, the king has promised endless wealth and power to anyone who defeats his would-be murderers. No results come until ten years later, when a man called Nameless (Jet Li) brings the weapons of the three assassins to the Qin king's palace. Nameless claims to be an expert swordsman who had defeated Sky and destroyed the famed duo of Flying Snow and Broken Sword by using their love for one another against them. Once Nameless comes face to face with the king, however, it looks as if the situation is more complicated than he had thought. Also featured in Hero is actress Zhang Ziyi (The Road Home, Crouching Tiger, Hiden Dragon) as Broken Sword's devoted servant, Moon. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jet Li, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, (more)
As Infernal Affairs opens, Ming (Andy Lau of Full-time Killer) is being initiated into the criminal underworld by triad boss Sam (Eric Tsang of The Accidental Spy), who ends his speech to his young charges by wishing them success in the police department. Ming enters the police academy, where he excels, but sees his classmate, Yan (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai of In the Mood for Love), expelled for "breaking the rules." It turns out that Yan wasn't actually drummed out of the force, but recruited by Superintendent Wong (Anthony Wong of Hard-Boiled) as an undercover operative. Just as Ming is achieving success in the police department while secretly working for Sam, Ming is gaining Sam's trust as a triad member, while reporting to Wong. Ten years later, both men, still undercover, have grown confused about their true identities, while their bosses, Sam and Wong, wage a battle of wits against each other. Each boss learns that the other has a mole working for him, and unwittingly entrusts the mole himself to ferret out the culprit. Ming and Yan scramble to expose one another's identity in an effort to save their own skins. Infernal Affairs was co-directed by Andrew Lau (who worked as a cinematographer on several of Wong Kar-Wai's films) and Alan Mak. Renowned cinematographer Christopher Doyle served as "Visual Consultant." The film was shown at New Directors/New Films in 2003. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Andy Lau, (more)
- 2002
Chinese Odyssey 2002, produced by Wong Kar-Wai, is writer-director Jeff Lau's energetic parody of Chinese kung fu epics, with a bit of Shakespeare thrown in. Chang Chen (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) plays the Emperor, who, desperate for the free-spirited life of a wanderer, tries to escape from the royal palace with his sister, the Princess (Faye Wong, little seen since starring in Wong's Chungking Express). He's caught and returned to his angry mother by the royal guards, but the Princess, disguised as a man, manages to escape. Meanwhile, King Bully (Tony Leung, who also starred in Chungking Express) has returned to his hometown, where he is widely despised for his bullying ways, to run a restaurant with his tomboy sister, Phoenix (Vicki Zhao of Shaolin Soccer). They have a very close relationship. In fact, King Bully mistakenly believes that he can read his sister's mind. When the Princess arrives in town, King Bully finds himself drawn to her, but, believing she's a man, decides that his attraction is some kind of empathy with Phoenix. King Bully and the Princess spend a night eating and drinking together. In the morning, the Princess leaves. King Bully, determined that the Princess will marry Phoenix, vows to bring the charismatic young "man" back. She does return, but soon realizes that the royal guards are following her. Meanwhile, the Emperor convinces his mother to let him leave the palace to go look for the Princess. By the time he gets to town, the Princess has been carted off by the royal guards, with King Bully in hot pursuit. He's immediately attracted to Phoenix. More confusion ensues. Chinese Odyssey 2002 had its U.S. premiere at the 2003 Tribeca Film Festival. The film was awarded Best Film, and Faye Wong Best Actress, by the Hong Kong Film Critics Society. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Faye Wong, (more)
- 2001
Hong Kong indie film icon Tony Leung stars in this Chinese production about cultural misunderstanding and intolerance. Datong (Leung) is a patrician of a St. Louis Chinese-American family and a designer of violent video games. When Datong's father (Zhu Xu) visits from China, he performs some traditional Chinese medicine on his young grandson. Though painless, the treatment leaves bright red marks on the skin, which are interpreted by the kid's teacher as welts. Soon the Child Welfare Agency is accusing the family of child abuse and transfers the kid to a foster home. This film was screened at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Zhu Xu, (more)
For his first film since the 1997 Hong Kong handover, auteur filmmaker Wong Kar-wai directs this moody period drama about unrequited love that, like his earlier work, swoons with romantic melancholy. Set in a Shanghaiese enclave in Hong Kong in 1962, the film centers on two young couples who rent adjacent rooms in a cramped and crowded tenement. Li-zhen (Maggie Cheung) works as a secretary in an export company while her husband's job at a Japanese multinational keeps him away on extended business trips. Across the hall, Chow (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) works as a newspaper editor and is married to a woman who is also frequently out of town. Neither respective spouse is ever shown in full, instead they are shot from the back or obscured by walls and furniture. Li-zhen and Chow soon strike up a cordial -- if tenative -- friendship. Chow begins to suspect that his wife's long absences are not entirely business related when he stops in unannounced at her office to discover that she is not there. Later, a colleague tells him that he saw his wife with another man. The icing on the cake comes when Chow notices that Li-zhen's handbag is identical to his wife's while Li-zhen discovers that Chow is wearing a tie that she gave her husband; it doesn't take long for them to realize that their spouses are sleeping together. Drawn together by shame and anger, Chow and Li-zhen reveal nothing of their discoveries to their partners. While working through their guilt by imagining how their adulterous spouses first hooked up and rehearsing interrogations, the pair slowly fall in love in spite of their determination to uphold their end of their marital vows. In the Mood for Love, which was screened in competition at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival, barely made it to the fest's final slot; Wong Kar-wai was reportedly shooting scenes in Cambodia a week prior to the festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Maggie Cheung, (more)
In this fast-moving, light-hearted thriller from Hong Kong, Macy (Kelly Chen) is supposed to marry her Japanese boyfriend Takahashi (Toru Nakamura) during a trip to Las Vegas, but instead he leaves her at the altar. Told that Takhashi has returned to Tokyo, Macy and her friend Yung (Ekin Cheng) decide to fly to Japan and find him. Macy and Yung decide professional assistance may be in order, so they retain the services of Lam (Tony Leung Chiu-wai), a detective from China now living in Tokyo. Lam and his right-hand woman Saori (Cecilia Cheung) swing into action, learning that Takahashi's situation is a bit more complicated than anyone imagined. What's more, a dangerous gangster, Ito (Hiroshi Abe), has gotten involved in the case. Dungging Gungleuk was a major box-office hit in Hong Kong but went directly to video in the United States under the title Tokyo Raiders. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Ekin Cheng, (more)
Two men who have a great deal in common become friends, only to find themselves turned into enemies in this slam-bang action fest from Hong Kong. Tyler (Nicholas Tse) is a man trying to make a career in a rough section of Hong Kong. One night, after several drinks too many, he hooks up with Ah Jo (Cathy Chui), an off-duty undercover cop who has also had a bit more alcohol than usual. Tyler and Ah Jo spend the night together, even though she usually prefers the company of women, and Ah Jo soon finds she's pregnant. Ah Jo has no desire to remain involved with Tyler, but he wants to do the right thing, so he takes a job as a bodyguard for low-level gangster Uncle Ji (Anthony Wong) and sends her his money, all the while wishing he could be in Brazil. Meanwhile Jack (Wu Bai), who once lived in Brazil, is back in Hong Kong with his very pregnant wife Ah Hui (Candy Lo), the daughter of a triad kingpin targeted by Brazilian gangsters. Uncle Ji is in charge of protecting the triad leader, and he makes Tyler one of his right-hand men. Tyler and Jack get to know one another and become close friends, but their friendship comes to an end when the Brazilian mob makes Jack an offer he can't refuse, putting the two men on opposite sides of a gangland war. Seunlau Ngaklau was directed by Tsui Hark, who returned to Hong Kong filmmaking after a brief sojourn in Hollywood. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicholas Tse, Wu Bai, (more)
Intended as the pilot for a an E.R.-style medical drama set in Hong Kong, Healing Hearts features Tony Leung as Lawrence, a doctor whose personal life has been left in shambles after the tragic hit-and-run death of his wife. As Lawrence sets off to find the driver and bring him to justice, one of his colleagues finds himself distracted by a beautiful coma patient. Healing Hearts was directed by Gary Tang and features Leung Chiu-Wai, Michelle Reis, Kenny Bee, Stephen Fung, and Jackie Lui.
~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Michelle Reis, (more)
International action star Jackie Chan shifts gears in Bolei Cheun, in which martial arts are put on the back burner and romantic comedy is in the forefront. Bu (Shu Qi), the daughter of a pair of Taiwanese restaurant owners, one day finds a bottle floating near the docks with a message inside. The note reads, "Do you know I'm waiting for you?" and is signed "Albert," with an address in Hong Kong attached. Bu, convinced this is her destiny, flies to Hong Kong to meet the mysterious Albert, only to find he's a gay cosmetologist (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) who intended for the note to be found by his ex-boyfriend. But Albert is understanding and lets Bu stay at his apartment. Albert lets Bu tag along for a photo shoot he's working and she meets multi-millionaire C.N. Chan (Jackie Chan) when she helps him ward off a gang of toughs hired by L. W. Lo (Emil Chow), who became Chan's enemy in their schooldays and is still out to make his life miserable. Chan is single and a bit lonely, and quickly finds himself attracted to Bu. Bu discovers she likes Chan as well, but things become sticky when her boyfriend flies in from Taiwan to find out what she's done -- and Lo sends an American martial arts champion out to kidnap Chan's new love. While Bolei Cheun does feature a few sequences displaying Jackie Chan's unique fighting style and acrobatic dexterity, the emphasis is on the story and characters rather than the action, with Chan in a rare romantic lead, Leung cast against type and Shu Qi dominating most of the film's first act. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jackie Chan, Shu Qi, (more)
The title of this Hong Kong crime tale translates as "dark flowers," slang for an underworld contract. While a gang war is developing, Macao cop Sam (Tong Leung Chiu-wai) takes on a gunman in a restaurant where bald Tony (Lau Ching-wan) is eating. After Sam goes to a mobster's restaurant where an informant is tortured, he finds a headless corpse in his apartment. Then a nightclub owner is murdered, and Sam moves fast to find the killer in an effort to prevent the gang war from escalating. However, he gets a full dose of action after he pins the crime on Tony. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lau Ching-Wan, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, (more)
Hou Hsiao-hsien (Goodbye South, Goodbye) directed this Taiwanese-Japanese period drama set in the British section brothels of 19th-century Shanghai. Chu Tien-wen's screenplay was adapted from Han Ziyun's 1894 novel Haishang Huia Liezhuang (Biographies of Flowers of Shanghai), translated from the original dialect to Mandarin during the '30s by Shanghai writer Eileen Chang. Around 1884, during the closing years of Imperial China, Crimson (Japanese actress Michiko Hada) worries that she's about to be dropped by civil servant Wang (Tony Leung Chiu-wai), since he's spending so much time with Jasmin (Wei Hsiao-hui). Emotions escalate when word arrives that Wang will relocate to another post in the Canton province. Shown in competition at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Michiko Hada, (more)
Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Kar-Wai directs the strange, intimate drama Cheun Gwong Tsa Sit (Happy Together). Australian cinematographer Christopher Doyle employed multiple film speeds and different color film stock during the shooting. Ho (Leslie Cheung) and Lai (Tony Leung) are lovers from Hong Kong who have run away to live in Buenas Aires, Argentina. However, Ho is immature and unwilling to settle down, which makes Lai depressed. When they break up, Lai works as a doorman in a tango bar in order to save money and go home. The restless Ho becomes a prostitute. After Ho is beaten and injured in an attack, Lai takes him to his apartment to recover. Ho tries to rekindle the romance, but Lai isn't interested. He leaves the tango bar and works in a kitchen, where he meets the young Chang (Chang Chen) from Taiwan. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leslie Cheung, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, (more)
- 1996
The cynical bite of this Hong Kong comedy will be most appreciated by those intimate with the culture as it comments upon those who use superstition and religion for their own benefit. Fung was raised in a Buddhist temple and so has the first-hand knowledge needed to run a first-class scam with his buddy Chi. Things go well until Chi tries for more than his share. After they split, Chi becomes a renowned, wealthy television prophet. Fung enacts his revenge by staging miraculous healing sessions with an unemployed actor posing as a priest. Sure enough the ploy works and Chi tries to lure the magical priest, Chun, to his camp. The trouble begins when Chun begins believing that he really can heal the sick. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Herman Yau Lau-to spins this goo wak jai gangster yarn featuring Tony Leung Chiu-wai. The film opens with a gangland fight that breaks out at a screening of Young and Dangerous 3 -- which also happened to be made by this film's producers. During the fight, bumptious gangster Siu-chun (Jordan Chan Siu-chan) from the Hung Hing clan is about to be clobbered by Scum (Ngai Sing), a thug from the rival Tong Sheng gang, when he is saved by celebrated street fighter Hong Fei (Leung). Later, Siu-chun's journalist sister Tong (Carman Lee Yeuk-tung) becomes fascinated with Fei when the charismatic gangster takes her to an underworld drag racing meet. She eventually learns that Fei is the heir to the Hung Hing dynasty. Yet Fei quietly blames his father Hong Sheng (Ku Feng) -- and current don of the gang -- for the brutal deaths of his sister and mother. hen Sheng does die of a stroke, Fei's reluctance to take the reigns of power results is chaos on the streets. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
A "cyclo" is a bicycle-drawn taxi similar to a rickshaw, and, in this story, the nickname of an 18-year-old boy trying to scrape together a living in the desperate poverty of Ho Chi Mihn City. Cyclo lives with his grandfather (Le Kinh Huy) and two sisters (Tran Nu Yen-Khe and Pham Ngoc Lieu), and drives his taxi for a bitter woman (Nhu Quynh Nguyen) who devotes most of her time to her mentally unstable son (Bjuhoang Huy). When the pedal-cab is stolen, Cyclo is forced into a life of crime to repay the debt and falls in with a group of petty thugs led by a self-styled poet (Tony Leung Chiu Wai). What Cyclo doesn't know at first is that the poet is also a pimp, and he's been using his romantic wiles to lure Cyclo's older sister into a career as a prostitute. Cyclo was directed by Tran Anh Hung, whose breakthrough film was the acclaimed drama The Scent of Green Papaya. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Le Van Loc, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, (more)
