Long-time Johnnie To companion who wrote and co-directed many of To's films. Wai also directed some films of his own, which are slightly more lackluster, though rarely disappointing. No doubt an industry giant, just not when flying solo.
Movies
His genre work is strong, comes with a very personal signature, it's seamlessly executed, and seems to lack any obvious weak points. Mad Detective is a definite recommendation.
Turn Left Turn Right
Turn Left, Turn Right is a simple, light-hearted drama, but conceptually quite strong and pure. The film demands that you go along with its concept and leave it at that.
One of the films that foreshadowed a new beginning for Johnnie To. Stylish action, brooding crime and quirky details would come to define his films in the 00s. Fulltime Killer puts the most emphasis on action, but all the elements that would launch To as one of the prime HK directors of the decade are already present. Good stuff.
The new Ka-Fai Wai is completely unhinged, but good fun. A spiritual successor to Mad Detective, though without Johnnie To around to add that sprinkle of style and class that is missing from the film. Detective vs. Sleuths isn't very subtle, but it's good to see Wai lean into the madness. Lee Chun is a detective gone mad. He has a knack for solving cases, but he sees people who aren't there, he talks to himself constantly and he behaves like a true madman. When he told the police that they got the wrong guy for two high-profile cases he was fired from the squad, but years later these two cases come back to haunt them. Ching Wan Lau commits fully to his character, the pacing is insane, the action over-the-top and explosive, and the cinematography is slick and atmospheric. There's a lot to like and love here, except if you prefer more grounded, serious police thrillers. It's nice to have Wai back and hopefully, this isn't just a one-off. Read all
Don't worry too much about the deceptive poster. This film may look like a simple, fluffy To romcom, but there's a bit more to it. Fun performances, a somewhat kooky plot and To's signature direction manage to lift this film well above the expected norm. Seeing how this is another To/Ka-Fai collaboration, that shouldn't be too surprising. Yan works in a hospital where the doctors have lost all will to do a proper job. Yan isn't willing to simply accept defeat, and when an old colleague joins her crew she figures it is time to get the hospital care back on track. It won't be easy to get everyone excited about their work again, but Yan is determined to bring her mission to a good end. The main trio (Jordan Chan, Ekin Cheng and Cecelia Chung) do a good job, the plot has plenty of quirky details and To adds the necessary flair. Help is a somewhat odd, atypical comedy that stands out among the other Hong Kong comedies, which is exactly what Hong Kong cinema needs from time to time. Not one of To's very best film, but fans looking for some lesser known To gems should definitely give this one a go.Read all
1:99 Shorts
Commissioned anthology that was made to lift the spirit of Hong Kong during the SARS epidemic. The who's who of Hong Kong cinema participated, but the result is a little uneven. Not too surprising considering the exterior motives behind this anthology, and there are a couple of worthwhile entries, but overall it's probably best to lower your expectations when watching this.
Running on Karma
Johnnie To's collaborations with writer Ka-Fai Wai certainly are unique. I'm not the biggest fan of Wai's writing, which can be a little too sentimental for my taste, but he brings something different to the table. In To he found a director who could execute his wacky ideas with style, and so many of their collabs became instant fan favorites. Big isn't just very muscular, he can also see people's future. It's a very handy skill, certainly for the police corps. Yee, a police detective, makes good use of Big, and they work well together, until one day Big finds out Yee is going to die soon. Yee commits to finding the murderer of Big's best friend before she dies, Big will try to change Yee's fate in the meantime. Andy Lau in a bodysuit is simply hilarious, the story is pretty wacky and To uses every visual trick he has to his disposal. The result is a somewhat messy film, but one that is not short of surprises. The only downside is the rather sentimental ending, which doesn't go well with the rest of the film. Worth a watch, but a bit too uneven for me.Read all
Fat Choi Spirit
When you get into Hong Kong cinema, you'll soon find there's no way around mahjong. This Eastern gambling game is so omnipresent that it is virtually a niche of its own. The beauty of the game is that you don't have to understand any of the rules, it's just fascinating to watch regardless. Point in case, To's Fat Choi Spirit. Andy is addicted to mahjong, so much in fact that he broke off relations with his family. His luck changes when he meets Gigi, a young girl who seems to be increasing his chances of winning his games. The only problem is that Gigi is a very sore loser herself, whenever she doesn't win she throws a veritable temper tantrum. The film features an all-star cast and puts quite a bit of focus on the mahjong games, but it's essentially just a very basic romcom. The cast is fine, there are some funny scenes and the pacing is solid, there just isn't enough here to make it a true To classic. Hardcore fans of his work (and his collaborations with Ka-Fai Wai) won't mind, I just wanted a little more.Read all
My Left Eye Sees Ghosts
Another To/Wai production. While Johnnie To is best known for his crime films in the West, he also made a fair few comedies. Hong Kong comedy isn't a great export product, so unless you're well familiar with the niche, it may be difficult to see how To's films stand out. Believe me, they really do, and something like My Left Eye Sees Ghosts isn't all that representative for the genre. The title should be pretty self-explanatory. When May becomes a widow, she discovers she can suddenly ... see ghosts with her left eye. The ghosts quickly catch on and bug May with requests. She isn't too interested in helping them, she only wants to find the soul of her deceased husband. For that, she seeks help from a shady psychic. Sammi Cheng is always a pleasure, Lau is solid too, though you have to be able to stand a hefty bit of overacting. The mix of genres is fun (just don't expect any horror elements, this is basically a quirky romcom) and To's direction is on point, only nowhere near his best work. An amusing diversion for fans of To and Hong Kong comedy.Read all
To has a bit of fun with superstars Andy Lau and Sammi Cheng. This glamour couple are back to star in a To/Wai romcom, only this time they have both gained a considerable amount of weight. The result is a somewhat outmodish comedy, that survives on the skills of To and Wai, but probably won't find its way to the top of most people's list of favorites. Mimi is a Hong Kong girl who lives in Japan. She has a relationship with a Japanese composer, who tells her he has to go to the US to pursue his career. They promise each other to meet up again a decade later, but Mimi is so heartbroken that she gains a bunch of weight. When the deadline draws close, she wants to lose the extra pounds, helping her is Fatso, another sizeable Hong Kong fella living in Tokyo. If you can't stand fat jokes and a little body shaming, it should be obvious that you're better off avoiding this film. Apart from that, the comedy is pretty docile and the plot not too exceptional, though the star power attached to this project more than makes up for it. Not a To highlight, but decent fun regardless. Read all
A pretty neurotic To/Ka-Fai collaboration. The duo is taking situational/cross-dressing comedy to the next level in Wu Yen. It's far from my favorite type of humor, but when it is done with this kind of intensity it does become quite intriguing to behold. I can't say I kept full track of everything going on, but it sure was amusing to watch. Mo-Yim is destined to marry the emperor, before her marriage, she frees a fairy from captivity. The fairy is grateful, but she also falls madly in love with the emperor. In order to stop the marriage, the fairy disfigures Mo-Yim, but she isn't willing to just give up on her destiny and she comes up with a plan to keep the marriage going. The result is a court comedy with lots of ploys, misunderstandings and people dressing up as other people. The performances aren't that great and not all the jokes land, but the pacing is solid, and the chaos is pretty fun to watch. It's not one of To's better films, but as simple comedy filler there's enough to look forward to.Read all
Not just a To/Ka-Fai collaboration, also an Andy/Sammi one. When it comes to onscreen couples, they have something special going on, something that makes their films a little better than they ought to be. Needing You isn't a very remarkable entry in To's oeuvre, but if you're looking for a pleasant romcom you can't really go wrong with this one. Wah and Kinki both work at the same company. At first, they can't really stand each other, but after a while, a fondness grows between them. Then Wah's ex suddenly turns up again, hoping to get Wah back. To makes things more complicated, she also tries to set up Kinki with another man. Wah is going to have to decide who he cares for the most. It's still a relatively early To, which shows in the lesser polish. The cinematography isn't too great, the score a bit lazy. Performances are good though and with Ka-Fai writing the script there's a bit more intrigue than usual. It's perfectly fine filler, just not up there with the best of his films.Read all
Love for All Seasons
I expected quite a bit from this one. A Louis Koo/Sammi Cheng collab from the hands of Johnnie To/Ka-Fai Wai is difficult to mess up, but somehow the film tries a bit too hard and fumbles because of some unnecessary complexities it took on. Ambition doesn't always work in a film's favor. May is a skilled martial artist who wants to learn the "Heartbroken Sword" technique. Her master pushes her to go out into the world and experience heartbreak firsthand, for that May consults Tiger Hung. A womanizer she helped out before and should be the ideal person to help break May's heart. The film wants to be a full-blown comedy, which is tricky since it's dealing with heartbreak. The two objectives don't go well together, the somewhat overstated performances don't really help the film either. Some decent action scenes make sure this isn't a complete disaster, but I wanted a lot more from Love for All Seasons. Somewhat of a letdown.Read all
Too Many Ways to Be No. 1
