Seeing the credits fade to Esprit D'amour (also reviewed) I decided after viewing his debut, to see the second film by Ringo Lam. Searching round online, I was surprised to hit a complete dead-end, with not even a non- English Subtitled print being around.
August 2023:
Not having checked since X-Mas 2022, I decided to take a roll of the dice and have a look, and I was happy to discover that the movie has recently appeared with English Subtitles! This led to me finally exploring the other side of the gentlemen.
Note: review contains some plot details.
View on the film:
Following rebellious loner Alan on his motorbike, (this would become a major recurring theme in his future works) down the neon drenched streets of Hong Kong for his (solo) debut, (he got hired on Esprit D'amour after original director Po-Chih Leong had shot one third of the film, and then got sacked) directing auteur Ringo Lam marvelously displays an eye for magnetic shots, that he would make full contact with later in the Heroic Bloodshed sub-genre, via razor sharp whip-pans cutting through the hard rain, (this would become a recurring motif in his future titles) and landing on lightning fast jump-cuts crashing Alan into the arms of Jo Jo.
Despite four cinematographers working on the project, Lam is skillfully able to hold the film to a consistent, Cinéma du Look - inspired tone, drizzling Jo Jo and Alan's romance with a zany Rom-Com atmosphere, (backed by stolen opening notes of the New Order song Blue Monday) of glossy, brightly-lit push-ins and dolly shots sliding next to the couple, which Lam gloriously spirals out to an off the wall final of slow-motion, extreme close-ups and striking dissolves, over Alan and Jo Jo.
Whilst the Comedy antics between Alan and his workmates become grating from every gurning face pulled, the screenplay by Lai Ling Cheung & Hard Boiled (1992-also reviewed) co-writer Barry Wong whisk up a fluffy Rom-Com from misfit loner Alan (played with a kooky edge by Alan Tam, working with Lam for the second, and final time) stumbling into falling head over heels in love for Jo Jo ( played by a wonderful Brigitte Lin, with Lin expressing Jo Jo's initial distaste for Alan, softening into barely contained, passionate romance.)
Left with just 10 minutes of the run time, the writers joyfully take everything off the rails for an unexpected, fantastic psychotronic final crashing the romance into a runaway wedding and a near death experience, which reveals the other side of the gentlemen.
August 2023:
Not having checked since X-Mas 2022, I decided to take a roll of the dice and have a look, and I was happy to discover that the movie has recently appeared with English Subtitles! This led to me finally exploring the other side of the gentlemen.
Note: review contains some plot details.
View on the film:
Following rebellious loner Alan on his motorbike, (this would become a major recurring theme in his future works) down the neon drenched streets of Hong Kong for his (solo) debut, (he got hired on Esprit D'amour after original director Po-Chih Leong had shot one third of the film, and then got sacked) directing auteur Ringo Lam marvelously displays an eye for magnetic shots, that he would make full contact with later in the Heroic Bloodshed sub-genre, via razor sharp whip-pans cutting through the hard rain, (this would become a recurring motif in his future titles) and landing on lightning fast jump-cuts crashing Alan into the arms of Jo Jo.
Despite four cinematographers working on the project, Lam is skillfully able to hold the film to a consistent, Cinéma du Look - inspired tone, drizzling Jo Jo and Alan's romance with a zany Rom-Com atmosphere, (backed by stolen opening notes of the New Order song Blue Monday) of glossy, brightly-lit push-ins and dolly shots sliding next to the couple, which Lam gloriously spirals out to an off the wall final of slow-motion, extreme close-ups and striking dissolves, over Alan and Jo Jo.
Whilst the Comedy antics between Alan and his workmates become grating from every gurning face pulled, the screenplay by Lai Ling Cheung & Hard Boiled (1992-also reviewed) co-writer Barry Wong whisk up a fluffy Rom-Com from misfit loner Alan (played with a kooky edge by Alan Tam, working with Lam for the second, and final time) stumbling into falling head over heels in love for Jo Jo ( played by a wonderful Brigitte Lin, with Lin expressing Jo Jo's initial distaste for Alan, softening into barely contained, passionate romance.)
Left with just 10 minutes of the run time, the writers joyfully take everything off the rails for an unexpected, fantastic psychotronic final crashing the romance into a runaway wedding and a near death experience, which reveals the other side of the gentlemen.
