Kee (Francis Ng from The Mission) is an addicted but not so talented gambler about to experience some of the most turbulent days of his life. First his girlfriend breaks up with him, he meets heartbroken hostess Princess (Suki Kwan from The Irresistible Piggies) and then manages to build up a debt with a Macau triad. While held by them he again meets up with Princess who's also gotten herself into a bit of gambling trouble and this is just the start of their adventure together...

The title A Gambler's Story is not misleading entirely but Marco Mak's film is not a Wong Jing gambling movie at all really. It opens and closes at the gambling table but there the links to previous movies in the genre ends. It's not easy to precisely pinpoint what the movie is since it's all over the place (both geographically and structure wise) but if I had to define it, I'd say it's a non formulaic romantic comedy. It takes place over a few rollercoaster like days (the director even inserts POV shots of a rollercoaster ride to further highlight this) and it's thanks to a few specific aspects that Marco Mak's film surprises.

Marco has done much editing work in the past for Tsui Hark and his credits include the Once Upon A Time In China series and Swordsman II. He decided to debut as a director with Love Correction in 2000 and has since made seven films, the latest being the Jordan Chan and Patrick Tam vehicle The Wall. He clearly knows film and with A Gambler's Story he mixes a distinct visual style with an unpredictable yet easy to follow plot. At times we're almost drowned in sound and odd camera work, something that in many movies just feels out of place but Marco makes it part of the light hearted mood.

Marco seems to be a very visual director and unlike other ones in the same category, he makes it part of the narrative and not something that's used instead of a narrative. He also structures the movie around Kee's voice-overs that tells us what's going on in his life or his thoughts in general. In these voice-overs certain events are emphasized with the help of a soundeffect or a visual gag. Take for instance the scene where Kee's girlfriend breaks up with him by cooking one final supper. Here the camera cuts to the painting of Jesus Christ's last supper and then morphs into Kee at the dinner table again. The films rather low-key (for a Hong Kong movie) humour is mostly created in the editing (a responsibility Marco hasn't fully let go off even when he's directing) through jump cuts, which creates a rather amusing feel. Those jump cuts and constant repositioning of the camera works very well in the 'erotic' scene between Francis and Suki. This scene could've easily turned into something gratuitous in another director's hands but Marco makes it fresh and original by not doing anything fresh or original technically. The humour itself is very far away from the Wong Jing style except for the male rapist subplot that couldn't have come from anyone else but him. That scene is odd but Lam Suet makes it fun even though we don't want to laugh at it.

The romantic comedy aspect doesn't dominate but blends in equally with all the other things going on around the characters. The reason why it isn't, as I mentioned, a formulaic rom/com is because of the way Marco tells the story. We just get to follow Kee when he goes from one place to the next and along the way he befriends a lot of people, including Princess. Even if much of what happens seems a bit over the top, it almost feels like another episode out of Kee's life (one of the more intense ones anyway) . It all comes full circle in the end which is a thing I must express my disappointment in. Marco Mak's intentions with the ending becomes clear in the final voice-over by Kee but I would've liked the film to go into a different direction personally.

Two other aspects that are very noticeable is the cinematography and the score. Tony Miu (DP on The Eternal Evil Of Asia) creates an almost burning yellow look that doesn't enhance nor ruin the film. The scenes shot on location in Macau looks very good though but a natural coloured look would've worked as well I think. Lincoln Lo's music adds more power to the light mood director Marco Mak has created in filming. In threatening situations for example, there's always light and breezy music being played that makes it more fun, even if it isn't for the characters. The movies isn't meant to be very serious and that is nicely reflected in the score. Even Johan Strauss An Der Schönen Blauen Donau is mixed into the atmosphere to great effect.

For Francis Ng this isn't, at first glance, a very demanding role. What becomes challenging for him is acting Kee physically and Kee in the voice-overs. Because the character isn't very expressive externally, Francis must act less in the movie but more in his narration. What he's saying is mostly stuff he'd rather keep to himself and it's only during the latter part of the film that he begins to open up. The most laughs from Francis is generated through his varied facial expressions and mannerisms that one now have begun to notice after seeing quite a few movies with him.. I'm sure there are many other actors that could've performed this role well but Francis adds such a level of professionalism and helps the filmmakers to realize their vision. He and Suki Kwan are a very likeable on screen duo and Suki really shows a toughness and sensitivity which doesn't make you think of the word cliché. The mentioned Lam Suet (from Running Out Of Tome) and Sam Lee (from Made In Hong Kong) also appears in supporting parts.

Marco Mak's A Gambler's Story combines audio and visuals into a thoroughly enjoyable film. Despite the disappointing ending, I urge you to see this overlooked 2001 movie.

Synopsis:
(taken from the case, with minor corrections)
Kei is a very devoted gambler. Whenever he goes to Macau, he will buy a return ticket in advance, just in case he gambles all his money. After his breakup with his girlfriend, he meets Princess at a karaoke bar. They later meet again in Macau, both in the hands of a triad leader, who threatens to kill them if they don't pay off their debt before lunch the next day...

REVIEW:
In the opening voiceover, Kei tells us that he likes rollercoasters. He likes the ups and downs. How appropriate considering this whole film chronicles the recent ups and downs of one man, played amazingly by Francis Ng. The rollercoaster imagery is used throughout the film to emphasize the ups and downs in Kei's life. However, this is one rollercoaster that doesn't end on an "up."

Francis Ng is easily in the top 5 of Hong Kong's best actors and he single-handedly holds A Gambler's Story together. That's a pretty amazing accomplishment when one person can hold a film together on their own, and Francis does just that, giving a surprisingly sympathetic performance. If nothing else, see this movie for Francis Ng's acting. That's not to say the supporting cast is bad cause they aren't.

Suki Kwan also gives it her all and puts in as sympathetic a performance as Francis'. They're both fairly tortured individuals and so it's no surprise how well their characters work as a couple in the film. Sam Lee cameos as Suki's brother who has a bone disorder, which is something I've never seen Sam do before. Of course I bought it cause, well, it's Sam Lee and I'm a sucker for a Sam Lee appearance in any movie. Lam Suet also has a short cameo that is somewhat pointless, but it's ok, the guy needs more work anyway.

Marco Mak directs and, as usual, the film looks great. I think I actually own all of Mak's films and I can definitely spot when he's directed a movie. He's got a flair for bringing to the screen some very unique visuals (one shot in particular has the camera on the back of a fan as it moves right to left, in another scene the picture of Jesus in The Last Supper transforms into Francis for some in-your-face symbolism).

The film was produced by Wong Jing, who tends to make a lot of off-the-wall comedies and exploitation films. I don't know what happened here, but A Gambler's Story is neither of those, instead playing it low-key, though Jing's style is evident in the strange male rapist subplot and sometimes odd humor. The film is a slower-paced (not boring) drama with little to no action (unless you consider playing baccarat "action"). This is typically not my thing, but the story is interesting enough, with compelling characters and brilliant acting on the part of Francis Ng.

DVD Specs:
Mei Ah
Region 0
Letterbox
Languages: Cantonese Dolby Digital 5.1, Mandarin DD 5.1, Cantonese 2.0, Mandarin 2.0
Subtitles: Chinese Traditional/Simplified, English
Extras: trailers, cast and crew, synopsis

Transfer:
Well, it's not bad. Remember, this is an older Mei Ah release (complete with the generic, oddly-shaped blue case). In saying that, I think I was pleasantly surprised that the transfer wasn't horrible. Sure, it's a pretty soft and the whole film has an orange-ish tint to it (whether it was intentional or not, I have no idea), but it does the job well enough without dirt or grain. The dreaded line down the screen shows up a couple times, but other than that, it's perfectly serviceable.

Sound:
Being an old-school Mei Ah release, I wasn't expecting much from the Dolby Digital soundtrack either, and I didn't get much. Like the transfer, the audio gets the job done and has no problems. Dialogue is clear and the sometimes-operatic soundtrack sounds nice.

Extras:
You guessed it...nothing of interest at all here. Trailers for two movies I have never heard of before (not sure of the names either, though one has Anthony Wong playing a swimming coach), cast and crew (don't get excited, it's just a list of the cast and crew sans filmographies/biographies), and a lovely synopsis (from the back of the case). Exciting.

Overall:
If you can look past the strictly average DVD (don't fault old Mei Ah, they knew no better back then...2 years ago) then you're likely to find a really good movie here. Francis Ng provides one of the best performances I've seen him give and, along with Marco Mak's direction, makes A Gambler's Story a much better film than it probably deserves, considering Wong Jing's involvement.