Liu mang yi sheng (1995)

Director:

Chi-Ngai Lee

Writer:

Chi-Ngai Lee (writer)

Release Date:

19 September 1998 (Japan)

Genre:

Comedy

Cast

Jordan Chan	...	The Singer
Farini Cheung	...	Nurse
Andy Hui Chi-On	...	Dr. Sam So
Christy Chung	...	Jamie
Jerry Lamb	...	Tong Ching
Ching Wan Lau	...	Chiu
Ka Law	...	May's dad
Kar-Ying Law	...	Street Preacher
Tony Leung Chiu Wai	...	Dr. Lau Mack
Gigi Leung	...	May
Lawrence Ng	...	K.T.
Richard Ng	...	Professor Bao
Alex To	...	Dr. Roger Jaw
Hilary Tsui	...	Zin
Eileen Tung	...	Lok Mei
Hei Wong	...	Triad

Also Known As:

Doctor Mack (Hong Kong: English title)
Lau man yi sang (Hong Kong: Cantonese title)
Mack the Knife

Runtime:

USA:98 min

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Cantonese

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 (re-rating) | Singapore:PG (cut) | South Korea:15

Tony Leung excels at wisecracking characters!

A feel good movie about doctors.

It's a somewhat hilarious movie, no, not rubber faced comedy, but feel good comedy, the sort TLCW is more suitable for.

He acts as Dr Mack, a wisecracking medical genius, who believe it or not, has no license to practice in HK, but does a good job treating his patients, and still manages to look cool nonetheless. When it comes to the most difficult operations, he is able to carry it out.

Sadly, his life is quite a mess. He and his classmate, Roger Law (played by Alex To) fall for the same girl, but he gives her up because he feels he cannot be a good husband to her. She returns to find him to seek treatment when she is dying of bone cancer. He treats her, but she still dies.

Roger Law is a good surgeon, but not as intelligent as Mack, hence each time Roger has a problem, he seeks advice from Mack. Mack helps Roger although he knows he will not gain any credit from it, but does so because he feels that as a doctor, his duty is always to the patient and to no one else. Roger may be a good surgeon, but he wants the glory for himself. When Roger is given the chance to try and save Professor Bao's work, he does so to ensure that he gets credit for it, although Bao's true protégé was always Mack. When Bao dies, Mack gets into trouble with the medical board, and Roger is determined to see that Mack loses his license.

Lau Ching Wan does a good job as the police officer Chiu, who is smitten with the prostitute, Mei. He wants to her only customer, and even mistakes Mack as trying to sought her services, when in truth Mack was treating her for womb cancer. Lau's lovesick character and the things he does to prevent people from seeking Mei are hilarious, but not totally over the top.

Christy Chung provides good eye candy, as Roger's girlfriend, Jamie who is actually smitten with Mack, and who knows that Mack, not Roger is the true genius behind the medical treatments and surgeries. She actually marvels at Mack's selflessness as a doctor, providing the homeless with free health-care.

Andy's rather emotional turn as Dr Sam So who was in love with his patient, Zin (who happens to be Mack's ex-girlfriend's sister, and who, as fate would have it, suffers from bone cancer) makes you feel for him. It's not OTT emotional, but emotional enough to make you feel for him and his difficulty. Actually Zin was supposed to be Mack's patient, but Mack decided to use Zin as a way of making Sam understand that he has to learn to deal with patients who have little time left.

Alex To did good with his character as Roger Law, given the limited screen time. I wished there was a bit more development with his character, but as the immoral doctor who finally realizes what being a good doctor is all about. His determination to see that Mack loses his license makes you hate him at first, but when he needed an operation, and it was Mack who saved him, Roger learns what being a doctor is all about.

No prizes for guessing who Tony's character ended up with! That's the spoiler!