Background
From 1995 to 1997, Wilson Yip directed
five films, evidently without causing much of a sensation. He teamed
up with producer Joe Ma Wai Ho and co-writer Matt Chow in 1998 to make Bio
Zombie (described as a vampire comedy); their follow-up Bullets
Over Summer was released in 1999.
The film was released theatrically in
Hong Kong early in the year 2000.
Foreground
The world is full of wounded
people. Sandra Ng is one - her husband has left her after a recent
health crisis, causing her to question her own self-worth as she endeavors
to care for her aging and senile grandfather. Francis Ng Chun-Yu is another,
a petty criminal who can't bring himself to cross the line into heartless
brutality. Each owes allegiance to Simon Yam Tat-Wah, a crime boss
who is also a caring family man. Through a plot contrivance they end
up caring for Yam's infant son. Brought together under such
circumstances, they find themselves reluctantly being drawn to each
other. But a debt must be paid . . .
By turns wistful, whimsical, thoughtful,
and grim, the film is measured and graceful. The performances
thankfully do not descend into hysterical theatrics, nor do the scenes
with the infant turn nauseatingly cute. Director Wilson Yip deserves
credit for the unhurried pace that allows the drama to breathe and the
audience to collect its thoughts as the plot presses forward to a
(perhaps) inevitable and emotionally affecting conclusion.
The film is rated Category IIB.
Several scenes are awash in blood and beatings.
DVD: look, sound, and features
The DVD features a good letterboxed
(1.85 to 1 ratio) presentation. The fleshtones are natural, the
black levels are sufficiently deep, and the colors look accurate.
Both Dolby 2.0 and 5.1 Cantonese and Mandarin audio tracks are provided.
I listened to the Cantonese 5.1 track and it sounded fine, with adequate
channel separation and use of surround channels.
Traditional and simplified
Chinese removable subtitles are provided in addition to English; the English titles
are large and white, but with no black backing they sometimes disappear
into the background.
The disk is divided into 9 chapters with
no time coding. The
"data bank" contains a cast and crew listing and the synopsis
from the back of the disk. The film's theatrical trailer is
included, and the "best buy" is the trailer for Peace Hotel.
Buy, rent, or pass?
Buy. A layered drama that will
likely reveal deeper recesses of feeling and meaning upon repeated
viewing.
(Reviewed 1/7/01)
