This falls under the category of “Tony Leung Chiu-wai movie that probably isn’t that great, but I kind of really like it anyway.” Something like Butterfly Sword or The Royal Scoundrel—a decidedly so-so movie, but something about it (and Leung’s performance in it!) still pulls me in.
Billy is a screw-up. He’s a mostly well-intentioned guy who’s decently smart but wildly-unambitious, and he mooches off of his girlfriend Rita while not giving her the respect she deserves. When he drunkenly directs his flirtatious nature toward the wrong guy’s girlfriend, he accidentally gets on the wrong side of a dangerous gangster, who expects Billy to pay through the nose for his offenses. Siu Ping, a low-level triad from the mainland, is tasked with following Billy until he pays his debts, and as Billy desperately tries to scrape together the money and avoid a serious beatdown, the two become unlikely friends.
This is the sort of film that takes a while to reveal itself. At first, the plot pulls itself in a few different directions and I wasn’t sure which thread was the main one. As such, the opening scenes are amusing but scattershot. It’s not until Billy is confronted by Brother Chiu’s goons abut the money Brother Chiu feels he’s owed that the story starts coming together.
At that point, it gets pretty fun and, surprisingly, just a little bit heartfelt. Billy and Siu Ping make for an entertaining pair forced together by extreme circumstances, and it’s neat to see them start to care about each other despite the intense situation they’re in. Honestly, the whole thing gets a bit bromantic—I’m not usually one to ship at the drop of a hat, but these two give each other some soulful looks. It’s clear that that’s not where the story’s really going since, apart from the 1993 of it all, both guys have women that they’re hung up on and part of Billy’s storyline is definitely to get his act together and be a better boyfriend to Rita. Instead, then, this story is one of unexpected friendship that just so happens to include some romant-ish looks at one another.
Apologies, but IMDb doesn’t list the character names along with the actors, and their profile images don’t necessarily help me match them to who they played in a 28-year-old movie. As such, I can’t really single out any of the non-Leung actors by name. Suffice it to say, the actor who plays Siu Ping is enjoyable. While not as much of a screw-up as Billy, Siu Ping is also someone who’s not as put-together as he might want to be, and the actor plays really well off of Leung. I also like the actress who plays Rita. The responsible girlfriend to the slacker guy is a familiar trope, but the actress gives Rita some dimension of her own, making her feel like more than just a type.
I probably would’ve found myself enjoying this movie a little despite itself no matter what, but Tony Leung Chiu-wai’s performance certainly makes me like it even more. Billy has some of Leung’s late ‘80s/early ‘90s charming-schemer qualities, although his fast-talking attitude is less successful than most characters of that type he’s played. Billy’s scheming is usually to avoid work/responsibility, not to hustle or get ahead, and it’s clear that he’s contented himself with living well below his potential. It’s not until he throws a true wrench into his relationship with Rita that might not be easily fixed, as well as getting himself in serious trouble with a triad, that’s he’s forced to man up and take responsibility for himself.
When you have an actor like Leung who’s given so many masterful performances over the course of his career, it’s easy to look at a less-demanding one like this in an okay-but-not-great film and write it off. But I do like what Leung’s doing here. He makes Billy shortsighted, irresponsible, and selfish, but he also shows you how Billy could be more than that if he tried, and it makes you want to root for him to make good. This is an engaging performance of a messy character, and I really enjoy watching Billy deal with being forced to grow up.
Recommend?
In General – A soft maybe. It’s not great, but it’s fun, and honestly I enjoyed myself more than I thought I would at the start.
Tony Leung Chiu-wai – I might. Obviously, it’s not 2046 or Infernal Affairs (what is?), but Leung is good in this role. And while it’s a familiar-ish type for this era of his career, there are enough differences in the characterization to provide some extra interest.
Warnings
Violence, sexual content, drinking, language, and thematic elements.
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