There might not be anything new to the story, on the surface: innocent girl falls for brooding bad boy, who's caught up in the gang life. But it is all the little touches, the way their unlikely romance is portrayed, and most importantly, the excellent performances by the two leads, that raises it from mediocrity to a touching and involving little gem.

Andy Lau rarely gets much praise for his earlier acting efforts. But I think he nailed it in this one. As Wah Dee, the low level triad punk, torn between the girl he loves and the life of crime that surrounds him. Wu Chien Lin also delivers a great and emotive performance as the overprotected rich girl, who unwillingly gets caught up in Wah Dee's world of violence, but falls in love with him despite his flaws and questionable occupation.

The romance aspect really worked for me. I believed it, and rooted for them to make it. Hell, I didn't even mind the obligatory and always cheesy "loving couple" montage, set to syrupy Canto-pop. I might be becoming an old softy. But of course it's not all roses fluffy pink clouds. There are numerous obstacles in the way of this troubled couple's eternal happiness--such as the girl's parents, the cops, and Wah Dee's nasty triad brothers, led by veteran bad guy actor Tommy Wong.

The movie relies mainly on drama. But the action and violence there is, is fairly raw stuff. And has impact, due to the viewer's emotional investement in the two leads. All of it plays out in the typical 80's melodramatic style. But that's really to the film's advantage.

In my ever-growing collection of HK action movies of all shapes and sizes, this movie now has its place as a nice little moment of romance. Highly recommended.

Andy Lau vs. JVCD!!

.....

No just kidding.

Andy Lau does a decent job in this movie, as the triad who finds someone who understands him for who he is (Wu Chien-Lien).

Wu Chien-Lien, in her first starring role, really shines in her role, showing why she's one of the best actresses out of HK.

As for Van Damme, well...

However, after all the rave reviews I heard about it, I thought it was going to be another "As Tears Go By" type of triad-romance film. I guess I set my sights too high on this film.

But don't get me wrong, it's a decent film, if your into these type of films. I guess because I'm not a huge fan of any of the stars, it probably brought the enjoyment factor down a little.

Overall, I guess it was a decent film. A love that could never be.