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Rich and Famous

Jul 222012
 

Rich and Famous (1987) Chinese Movie Information

Title in Chinese –  行江湖情
Title in Pinyin – Jiang Hu Qing

Genre – Action

Subject/theme – Forced by gambling debts, a man drags his sister and step brother with him into employment by a triad boss.

Language – Cantonese

Region – Hong Kong, China

Release date
Hong Kong – 28 May 1987
Japan – 1 April 1994

Movie running time – 104 minutes

Director – Taylor Wong

Cast & Role Played
Chow Yun-fat – Li Ah-chai, triad boss
Andy Lau – Lam Ting-Kwok, step brother
Alex Man – Tang Kar-yun, brother
Carina Lau – Lau Po Yee
Alan Tam – Mak Ying Huang, cousin
Pauline Chan – Wai Chui, sister

Story
A family fleeing to Hong Kong from China adopt a young boy who is also a refuge after his father dies. Years later the family of four is struggling to make a living in Hong Kong. Yun is a compulsive gambler while Kwok is level headed and tries to keep his older step brother under control.

Kwok is forced to help Yun steal money from a triad gang to pay off his gambling debts. The robbery goes bad and Kwok, Yun and their sister Chui are forced to join a rival triad gang run by Ah-chai for protection. They are then drawn into a violent and bloody triad war.

Editor’s Review of Rich and Famous – Score 7/10
Chow Yun-fat and Andy Lau perform well and have excellent on screen chemistry together that make Rich and Famous an enjoyable movie to watch.  Other supporting actors such as Alan Tam also perform very well. The fighting scenes are way over the top and typical of Chow Yun-fat

Rich and Famous Links

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IMDb Movie Database for Rich and Famous

A Simple Life

Jul 162012
 

A Simple Life (2011) Chinese Movie Information

Title in Chinese –  桃姐
Title in Pinyin – Tao Jie

Genre – Drama

Subject/theme – After suffering a stroke, a housemaid who has been working for the same family for years decides to move into an old peoples home

Language – Cantonese

Region – Hong Kong, China

Release date
Hong Kong – 23 September 2011
UK – 25 October 2011
USA – 6 January 2012
China – 5 March 2012

Movie running time – 118 minutes

Director – Ann Hui

Cast & Role Played
Andy Lau – Roger, master of the family
Deanie Ip – Ah Tao, maid
Wang Fuli – Roger’s mother
Anthony Wong – Grasshopper, Home landlord
Lawrence Ah-mon – Ah Chun, Roger’s buddy

Story
After working for the Leung family as a maid for decades and raising three generations of Leung children, Ah Tao suffers a stroke. Unable to care for Roger, the only member of the family left in Hong Kong, Ah Tao decides to move into an old people’s home. Once in the home, Ah Tao recovers from her stroke and discovers a new way of life and her relationship with Roger undergoes a subtle but significant and warm change.

Unfortunately Ah Tao’s health starts to deteriorate and Roger makes a decision that becomes the pivotal point of the movie.

A Simple Life Links

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IMDb Movie Database for A Simple Life

Running Out of Time 2

Jul 112012
 

Running Out of Time 2 (2001) Chinese Movie Information

Title in Chinese –  暗战 2
Title in Pinyin – An Zhan 2

Genre – Thriller

Subject/theme – A brilliant thief plays a game to extort millions from a company on the verge of a multi billion dollar merger

Language – Cantonese

Region – Hong Kong, China

Release date
Hong Kong – 27 December 2001
Netherlands – 25 January 2007

Director – Johnnie To & Law Wing-cheong

Cast & Role Played
Lau Ching-wan – Inspector Ho Sheung-san
Ekin Cheng – Nameless, a brilliant thief
Kelly Lin – Teresa, a corporate boss handling the merger
Hui Shiu-hung – assistant commissioner Wang, Ho’s boss
Mal Suet – Ken, a hostage negotiator addicted to gambling

Story
A large Hong Kong company is about to enter a merger worth billions and a brilliant thief Nameless sees this as an opportunity to extort money from Teresa, the executive in charge of the merger. Nameless plans the extortion flawlessly and forces Ho to help him. Ho is constantly one step away from catching Nameless who is able to predict and counter his every move.

Editor’s Review of Running Out of Time 2– Score 5/10
The story for Running Out of Time 2 is almost identical to the first movie only with an even weaker plot, less tension and missing Andy Lau. Ekin Cheng is good but without the onscreen chemistry between Lau Ching-wan and Andy Lau, this movie has very little going for it.

There are some great scenes such as the bicycle race been Lau and Ekin but they do little to save the movie that is ruined by a lack lustre story and several scenes that border on fantasy.

Running Out of Time 2 Links

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IMDb Movie Database for Running Out of Time 2

Running Out of Time

Jul 082012
 

Running Out of Time (1999) Chinese Movie Information

Title in Chinese –  暗战
Title in Pinyin – An Zhan

Genre – Thriller

Subject/theme – A criminal genius with terminal cancer plots revenge

Language – Cantonese

Region – Hong Kong, China

Release date
Hong Kong – 23 September 1999
Singapore – 30 September 1999
Malaysia – 4 November 1999
Germany – 28 September 2000

Director – Johnnie To

Cast & Role Played
Lau Ching-wan – Inspector Ho Sheung-san
Andy Lau – Cheung
Benz Hui – Chief Inspector Wong Kai-fat
Waise Lee – Baldy, crime boss
Lam Suet – Suet, Baldy’s henchman
Yoyo Mung – Leung Yuen Ting, girl on minibus

Story
Chueng, a criminal genius learns he has terminal cancer with four weeks left to live so he starts to plan and execute the revenge of his father’s killer Baldy. Cheung cannot cause Baldy’s downfall alone so he robs a finance company and takes a manager captive to deliberately meet Ho who is a hostage negotiator. Ho becomes an unwilling participant in Cheung plan when Chueng promises him a 72 game and is allowed to escape by the bumbling inspector Wong.

Cheung’s health is deteriorating rapidly as he painstakingly puts the final pieces in place for Baldy’s demise. Ho is hot on his trail and develops a grudging admiration and friendship for Cheung. As the plot develops it becomes a race against time to see if Cheung can live long enough to complete his plan with Ho as his reluctant ally.

Editor’s Review of Running Out of Time – Score 7/10

The story for Running Out of Time is weak the character development for Cheung is limited and confusing.  Lau Ching-wan and Andy Lau are charismatic, put on excellent performances and easily compensate for the movies shortcomings. The movie is fast paced, the sound track well chosen and the supporting cast are very good so the end result is a very enjoyable Johnnie To movie.

Running Out of Time Links

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IMDb Movie Database for Seoul Raiders

Overheard 2

Jun 222012
 

Overheard 2 (2011) Chinese Movie Information

Title in Chinese –  窃听风云2
Title in Pinyin – Qie Ting Feng Yun 2

Genre – Crime Thriller

Subject/theme – Police investigating stock market manipulation in Hong Kong act on overheard information

Language – Cantonese

Region – Hong Kong, China

Release date
China – 18th August 2011
Hong Kong – 18th August 2011
Singapore – 18th August 2011

Movie runtime – 121 minutes

Director – Alan Mak and Felix Chong

Cast & Role Played
Lau Ching-wan – Manson, stock broker and market maker
Louis Koo – Jack, Anti terrorist force captain
Daniel Wu – Joe, a Singaporean badass
Michelle Ye – Tsui Foon, Jack’s wife
Alex Fong – Hotel Security Director
Huang Yi – Emily, Manson’s wife
Wilfred Lau – Tsui Hoi, Jack’s subordinate and Tsui Foon’s brother

Story
A group of stock brokers and market makers called the Landlord’s club have been secretly manipulating Hong Kong’s stock market. Aware of the market’s manipulation, a task force under the command of Jack is given the job of putting the Landlord’s Club under surveillance. A Singaporean criminal Joe has his own agenda and complicates the situation when he attacks the Landlord’s club.

Jack has long had his doubts about the Landlord’s Club and his membership in it and together with Joe, becomes the prime targets for Jack and his team. The story is complicated by the actions of the Landlord’s Club being based on patriotism not greed and by Joe who is not just the criminal he appears to be.

Overheard 2 Links

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IMDb Movie Database for Overheard 2

Life Without Principle

Jun 222012
 

Life Without Principle (2011) Chinese Movie Information

Title in Chinese –  夺命金
Title in Pinyin – Duo Ming Jin

Genre – Crime Drama

Subject/theme – A bank officer, criminal and police officer betray their moral principles during the global economic crisis

Language – Cantonese

Region – Hong Kong, China

Release date
Italy – 9th September 2011
Hong Kong – 20th October 2011
USA – 14th April 2011

Movie runtime – 106 minutes

Director – Johnnie To

Cast & Role Played
Lau Ching-wan – Panther, triad member
Richie Ren – Cheung Ching Fong, police offiicer
Denise Ho – Teresa, bank officer
Myolie Wu – Connie, Cheung’s wife
Terence Yin – Mr Sung
Felix Wong – Sum

Story
Life Without Principle is a movie about money and how it changes and distorts people who are overwhelmed by greed. The story focuses on three man characters, a triad member Panther who is in charge brokering stocks for a former triad member, Teresa who is a bank officer and faces losing her job if the numbers don’t look good and lastly Cheung a police officer who’s wife Connie took out a bad loan.

The movie is set during the financial melt down that hit Hong Kong’s stock market during the global economic crisis.

Life Without Principle Links

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IMDb Movie Database for A Life Without Principle

Overheard

Jun 042012
 

Overheard (2009) Chinese Movie Information

Title in Chinese – 窃听风云
Title in Pinyin – Qie Ting Feng Yun

Genre – Crime Thriller

Subject/theme – Police investigating a securities company start using inside information they overhear

Language – Mandarin

Region – Hong Kong

Release date
China – 24th July 2009
Hong Kong – 30th July 2009
Germany – 2nd November 2009

Director – Alan Mak and Felix Chong

Cast & Role Played
Lau Ching-wan – Johnny Leung, CIB officer and team leader
Louis Koo – Gene Yeung, CIB officer and team member
Daniel Wu – Max Lam, CIB officer and team member
Alex Fong – Kelvin Lee, CIB team leader
Zhang Jingchu – Mandy Yam, Johny’s girlfriend & Kelvin’s wife
Michael Wong – Willie Ma, criminal boss

Story
A securities company is suspected of inside trading so Hong Kong’s Criminal Intelligence Bureau (CIB) set up two teams who bug the company’s office and monitor company’s activities 24 hours a day. Johhny is the head of the team on night shift and is having an affair with Mandy who is the wife of his friend Kelvin, the team leader of the day shift. The two members of Johnny’s team are Gene who is about to be married to a wealthy man’s daughter and Max who’s son suffers from a serious illness.

During the early stages of the investigation Gene and Max overhear a plan to increase the price of the company’s shares. They delete the records of that tip and use it to buy stock. Johhnny catches them but is too late to stop them from buying millions of dollars of shares. The trading of the shares is chaotic and halted is suspended on the suspicion of unfair trading. While trading is suspended, Johnny and his team use an un sanctioned bug to over hear the a plan to kill one of the company’s executives. Johnny plans to come clean to the CIB chief to avert the murder but Gene and Max beg him to let the murder go ahead because the life of one scum is not worth the ruin of their careers or families.

Faced with a moral dilemma Johnny and his team disguise themselves and secretly the murder with unexpected consequences. The share trading resumes the following day with the prices of the shares sky rocketing and Johnny, Gene and Max rapidly losing control of the situation.

Editor’s Review of Oerheard – Score 8/10
Lau Ching-wan, Louis Koo and Daniel Woo are all excellent actors and ideally suited to the characters they play in Overhead. Excellent casting together with a gripping plot make Overhead an extremely enjoyable movie to watch. The tension starts to build within the first few minutes of the movie and leaves you sitting on the edge of your seat just waiting to see what happens next.  The characterization in the movie is very well done with each of the characters quirks and flaws as well as their relationships smoothly mixing in the plot and making the movie more realistic and compelling to watch.

The ending is not too predictable or over the top and has several twist that make it a fitting conclusion to an excellent and suspenseful movie.

Overheard Links

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IMDb Movie Database for Overheard

Infernal Affairs

May 132012
 

Infernal Affairs (2002) Chinese Movie Information

Title in Chinese – 无间道
Title in Pinyin – Wu Jian Dao

Genre – Thriller

Subject/theme – An under cover police offer and a triad mole secretly face off

Language – Cantonese

Region – Hong Kong

Release date
Hong Kong – 12th December 2002
Taiwan – 13th December 2002
France – 15th March 2003

Movie runtime – 102 minutes

Director – Andrew Lau & Alan Mark

Cast & Role Played
Andy Lau – Lau Kin-ming, triad member and mole in the police force
Tony Leung – Chan Wing-yan, under cover police officer in the triad
Anthony Wong – Superintendant Wong Chi-shing, Chan’s superior
Eric Tsang – Hon Sam, triad boss
Shawn Yue – Young Chan Wing Yan
Chapman To – Tsui Wai-keung, Hon’s henchman
Kelly Chen – Dr Lee Sum-yee, Chan’s therapist
Sammi Cheng – Mar, Lau’s girlfriend

Story
A triad boss Hon Sam sends a number of his young members to join the police force and be his moles. One of those young members is Lai Kin-ming. At the same time a young police recruit Chan Wing-yan is kicked out of the police academy and joins the triad. Unknown to any one except superintendant Wong Chi-sing and one other senior officer, Chan is an under cover police agent infiltrating the triad.

Lau is rapidly promoted through the ranks of the police force and becomes an indispensable aid to Hon in his battle against the police and rival triad gangs. Chan slowly works his way in to Hon’s inner circle and experiences a life extreme stress and seeks help from a therapist Lee Sum. After 10 years of under cover work, both Lau and Chan are facing identity issues. Chan doubting himself as a police officer after living the life of a criminal for so many years and Lau wants to stay a police officer and erase his criminal identity.

As the story progresses, Chan loses his only link to the police force and Lau takes steps to remove all traces of his criminal past so he can begin a new life as a bona fide police officer. Chan and Lau eventually uncover each other’s secret identities and meet in an explosive confrontation that is the pivotal point of the movie.

Editor’s Review of Ip Man – Score 8/10
With highly talented cast, outstanding acting and a riveting story line, Infernal Affairs is one of the best police thrillers ever to come out of China. Infernal Affairs was so popular, it spawned a prequel, a sequel and was copied (less successfully) by Martin Scorese in his 2006 movie “The Departed” starring Leonardo Decapio and Matt Damon and won academy award for best picture. As good as The Departed is, Infernal Affairs is much better.

Infernal Affairs Links

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IMDb Movie Database for Infernal Affairs

God of Gamblers

Apr 302012
 

God of Gamblers (1989) Chinese Movie Information

Title in Chinese –赌神
Title in Pinyin – Du Shen

Genre – Action and comedy

Subject/theme – A legendary gambler is betrayed by his right hand man after he loses his memory and is befriended by a group of hustlers

Language – Cantonese

Region – Hong

Release date
14th December 1989 – Hong Kong

Movie runtime – 126  minutes

Director – Wong Jing

Cast & Role Played
Chow Yun-fat – Ko Chun, the god of gamblers
Andy Lau – knife, small time gambler and two bit hustler
Charles Heung – Dragon, Ko Chun’s bodyguard
Joey Wong – Jane, Knife’s girlfriend
Jimmy Lung Fong – Ko Ye, Ko Chun’s right hand man
Sharla Cheung – Janet, Ko Chun’s girlfriend
Ng Man-tat – Loanshark Shing

Story
Ko Chun is a famous gambler with an extraordinary almost god like skill in games of chance such as poker and mahjong. He defeats a leading Japanese gambler who then invites him to play for him against his enemy, the wanted criminal Chan Kamn-Sing. Before the match is scheduled on a ship in international waters, Ko Chun is injured by Knife who set a trap for his Indian neighbour.

Ko Chun’s injury cause him to lose his memory and revert to childhood. Knife, his girlfriend and his sidekick look after Ko Chun and use him to win money at gambling after realizing he is a gifted gambler. Ko Ye accidentally kills Jane after she refused his advances and sets out to kill Ko Chun and seize his fortune. Ko Ye discover Ko Chun’s hiding spot and attempts to kill him.

Ko Chu is injured again and recovers his memory and finds out that Jane is dead. The story then quickly builds up to a dynamic and startling conclusion.

Editor’s Review of God of Gamblers – Score 8/8
Hong Kong is obsessed with gambling and at the time it was produced in 1989, God of Gamblers was a hit movie with enormous audience appeal and an immediate classic. God of Gamblers did not rely on special effects, breathtaking scenery, beautiful women or stunning martial arts. It instead used class, style, flair, great acting and sophistication. Chow Yun-fat is brilliant and charismatic as Ko Chun, Andy Lau is excellent as the bumbling and somewhat cool Knife and the other actors in general were very good and instrumental in making God of Gamblers a hit.

For anyone interested in a classic Hong Kong movie that personified a generation, Good of Gamblers is a must see very enjoyable movie to watch.

God of Gamblers Links

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IMDb Movie Database for God of Gamblers

Look For A Star

Apr 272012
 

Look For A Star (2009) Chinese Movie Information

Title in Chinese – 游龙戏凤
Title in Pinyin – You Long Xi Feng

Genre – Romance

Subject/theme – Three couples of different backgrounds fall for each other

Language – Cantonese

Region – Hong Kong

Release date
Hong Kong – 23 January 2099
China – 26th January 2009
Singapore – 12 February 2009

Movie runtime – 117 minutes

Director – Andrew Lau

Cast & Role Played
Andy Lau – Sam Ching, billionaire property developer
Shu Qi – Milan, part time casino dealer and full time cabaret dancer
Lam Ka-wah – Tim Ma, Sam’s chauffeur
Zhang Xinyi – Shannon, single mother and real estate worker
Zhang Hanyu – Lin Jiu, out of work labourer
Denise Ho – Jo, Sam’s secretary and right hand

Story
A billionaire property developer is staying at his hotel in Macau while on a business trip and meets Milan while she is working as a dealer who mistakes him for an out of luck gambler. At the same time Sam’s secretary Jo encounters Lin who is temporarily working in the hotel and captivates him in a very strange way. Sam also sets up Tim on a blind date with Shannon who he falls for despite reservations about her being a single mother.

The plot develops around the three couples and how they deal with their differences in status while falling in love and trying to build a relationship together. Complications develop in each of the three relationships that each of the couples must overcome.

Editor’s review of Look For A Star – Score 6/8
The movie starts of with a nice pace and enjoyable story where each of the couples meet, interact and get to know each other. Shu Qi is adorable and great as the down to earth dancer Milan while Andy Lau is slick and charming but a little too slick and perfect. Denise Ho is great as a woman as a self depreciating and self conscious woman and her interaction with Zhang Hanyu is one of the better parts of the film.

The plot deteriorates in the second half after Sam reveals his identity to Milan and the movie the story loses most of its character. The last part of the movie is so cheesy, embarrassing and corny that the movie loses most of the credibility it gained in the first half. Over all a good movie to enjoy with some nice acting but in the end, too typical, shallow and commercial.

Look For A Star Links

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IMDb Movie Database for Look For A Star

 

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