Nominations at the Hong Kong Film Awards 1990:

Johnnie To has, like many other directors, tried out different genres and the genre he has gotten the most attention with is action. Films like Heroic Trio and the martial arts action movie Barefoot Kid are among fan favourites but he has also directed comedy and drama. His best movie in the latter genre is All About Ah Long made in 1989.

Ah Long (Chow Yun-Fat) works as a truckdriver on a construcion site and is a single father to 10 year old Porky (Wong Kwan Yuen). He barely makes enough to support his son but his love for him makes him able to handle any backlash that might come his way. One day Porky gets an offer to appear in an television ad and the director of it turns out to be Por Por, (Sylvia Chang from Forever and Ever) Porkys real mother.

Through flashbacks we learn that Ah Long and Por Por had a relationship 10 years earlier, which didn't end well. She left him, by emigrating to America, after she caught him with another woman. Instead Ah Long was left to raise his son on his own. Through the reunion Ah Long sees his chance to form a family now that Porky's mother is back. But under the surface there are still wounds not yet healed and Ah Long now has to make a difficult decision regarding his sons future...

Johnnie To directed All About Ah Long before he got his big commercial break and even though he has quite a flair for action, he also shows great eye for characterdrama here. It doesn't hurt that he has a first rate trio of actors in front of the camera. I have to give kudos to little Wong Kwan Yuen especially. The role he plays demands that he shows a smartness about life but first and foremost it's a very physical and emotional part. He pulls off all these aspects with such great ability that I think it's sad that he didn't walk home with a Hong Kong Film Award that year.

Someone who did get a HKFA, for the third time (A Better Tomorrow & City On Fire were the other two), was Chow Yun-Fat. I really like that he basically plays a pretty loudmouthed and somewhat unsympathetic character. It's the love for Porky that drives Ah Long to better his status in life. If he himself can't succeed then he will do anything not to let Porky walk down the same path. Chow Yun-Fat amazing acting really shows that he IS the character, not the actor playing him.

Sylvia Chang also plays a character that is far from perfect. When she and Ah Long broke up she didn't want to be in Hong Kong anymore and if that would mean leaving her son behind, then so be it. Inside there is a motherly warmth that comes out when she does see her son for the first time all grown up. Sylvia doesn't miss a beat in the portrayal of this character and she is as good as Chow Yun-Fat. In a supporting part we see Ng Man Tat (Shaolin Soccer) in a serious role for once. It's not a big part but he brings to his character what is needed for this movie.

There have been critics that have said that the movie is way too sentimental but personally I think it does these parts really well. Director Johnnie To chooses just the right amount of emotions to be pumped in and we really feel for these characters.

Chow Yun-Fat is always excellent as an action hero in films like The Killer but he has on several occasions shown that he feels more comfortable acting in more serious dramatic movies. Today he is still mostly known for his work with John Woo but if he gets more chances at drama in Hollywood, I think that All About Ah Long will find an even bigger audience.