Cast Member: Lau Ching-Wan

Although the state of Hong Kong cinema is much approved now, it’s hard to forget the wretched state just a few years ago. ‘Big Bullet’ really stood out when it was released and remains a class act.

The action is still impressive, and deserves 4 stars, but the direction, annoying camera work and lack of real plot drag it down into the 3 star category.

The comedy is hit-and-miss and as it takes up the majority of the running time, it slows the pace right down after a promising start.

These ingredients make ‘C’est La Vie, Mon Cheri’ a real treat to watch and create an enchanting ambience that draws the viewer in.

Superbly paced, mounted and executed, one should simply sit back and enjoy this kung fu spectacle.

Despite some effective chemistry between N!xau and Lau Ching-Wan in some scenes, this is a strictly low-priority film.

‘Driving Miss Wealthy’ simply isn’t sharp enough or emotionally engaging enough to sustain the attention.

‘Fairy Tale Killer’ tries so hard to be an intelligent thriller that it forgets to be thrilling or exciting.

This, as you can tell from my gushing praise, is a film that has an obvious admiration and affection for the films that inspired it.

‘Full Alert’ is more focused on crime and the effects of violence on the average man than it is on the dynamics of the police thriller.

‘Himalaya Singh’ is a depressing fusion of noise and colour that Hong Kong cinema can ill-afford to keep churning out.

The result is every bit as slick as viewers have come to expect from the film-makers, but severely lacking in genre staples like tension or excitement.