Movies
Ching-Po Wong's first feature is quite something else. It's a shame it's still not available in any decent format (even the original DVD release looks like a bad VHS transfer), though I assume it may be for lack of a decent source. The film's indie roots are apparent, don't go in expecting a typical Hong Kong movie. Three characters are getting very close to death and are starting to see the beauty in the morbid. The first is a morgue assistant who has a hard time dealing with his colleagues, the second is a hitman for the local Triad, and the third is a cook who makes prisoners on death row their last meal. The styling is ruined by the poor transfer, but the soundtrack still shines and the cinematography is interesting, to say the least. The plot is a little meandering but things do get better in the second half. It's a great start to Wong's career, but it's not up there with the rest of my personal favorites anymore.Read all
A Decade of Love
A decent mix of romance and drama, with a bit too much plot mixed in to make a strong impact. All about Love relies quite heavily on plot twists and coincidences, so much in fact that the drama tends to suffer. If the story hasn't been so far-fetched, it might have made a bigger impact, though the direction probably wasn't subtle enough for that to work either. Ko and his wife are happily married, but then she dies and Ko is left by himself, feeling guilty he didn't spend more time with her. A few months later he runs into Sam, a teacher who got the heart of Ko's wife and was left by her boyfriend, who is the spitting image of Ko. He sees it as the ideal opportunity to redeem himself. You're getting twice the Andy Lau for the price of one, the scenes with Choi in particular are pretty solid. The plot's a bit ridiculous though and the directors are a little too prone to dig for sentimentality. But at least they kept things rather short and to the point. It's a pretty decent film, but I'm not surprised it's not as popular as its cast would suggest.Read all