Hui Nin Yin Fa Dak Bit Doh
1998 / 128m - Hong Kong
Drama
3.0*/5.0*
The Longest Summer poster

Watches

November 11, 2016

2.5*/5.0*

April 11, 2022

3.0*/5.0*

The handover of Hong Kong from the UK to China was an extremely important event in the history of Hong Kong, its consequences are still causing ripples to this very day. And yet, the Hong Kong movie industry never paid too much attention to it, safe some outlier directors like Fruit Chan.

As an effect of the handover, soldiers employed by the Brits suddenly find themselves without a proper job. They have no other skills and many of them roam Hong Kong without a clear goal. It's no surprise they end up favoring a life of crime, but even that is easier said than done.

The blueish hues are cold but moody, performances are decent, and the ending is pretty shocking, but the film is also a bit meandering and while the themes do shine through, Chan needs quite a bit of time to get to the point. Not a bad film, but a more pointed and concise effort would've been better.