REVIEW:
Creating an action drama in Hong Kong that manages to be touching, exciting and realistic is generally a challenge and Reunion tries hard to meet all of these criteria. While not entirely successful, it is a well crafted film that taps into some real emotions.

A harsh tone is set for the film initially as a triad boss breaks into a home and beats two adults to death as Cha, the eldest son (Julian Cheung) watches from his room. He escapes with his younger brother and sister and they find their way to an orphanage. Chung (So Yau Pang) and Ching (Fan Bing Bing) are both adapted by different parents. This leads to an emotional breakup of the three siblings. Cha’s fate is left unknown as years later Chung goes in search of his sister. The two happily reunite and travel to Hong Kong to find their elder brother. Sadly they find him without knowing it. He’s changed his name to Kai and is now a triad member. He tells them that Cha is dead and since they are unable to recognize him, the two prepare to return home. Meanwhile, Kai’s boss targets Chung as the son of a wealthy businessman able to pay a healthy ransom. Kai is ordered to kidnap his own brother. He warns them to leave quickly, but a rival triad member does the job for him. With his younger brother and sister in jeopardy, it’s up to Kai to protect them and still get revenge on the man who had killed their parents.

This is a tough film to nail down and feel comfortable watching. Unlike most Hong Kong films dealing with triads, the focus is more personal and the main characters are drawn with more humanity. It’s helped along by the fact that most of the acting performances are very good, especially by the three children who play the main characters in the first part of the film. They seem genuinely disturbed by their predicament. On the other hand, Julian Cheung’s performance as a streetwise gangster who is out to avenge his parents’ death falls closer to a standard genre film. In one of the film’s only fights, he knifes his way through a mob of attackers in an attempt to kill his own boss. Choreographer Xiong Xin Xin noticeably tones down the heroics usually reserved for martial arts combat in these films. But Cheung, who has grown to be a competent action lead, still appears to be slightly larger than life in his ability to survive. This dichotomy slightly diminishes the film as a serious drama, but does make it easier for action fans to be drawn in.

Raymond Wong’s script is excellent overall and weaves the characters through the story with care. Enough time is given to the development of the three siblings as children to add weight to their relationship as adults. Having Cha’s boss target the younger brother is obviously a matter of convenience in order to tie their relationship into the action part of the film, but it is a smart device that works. Unfortunately, the final confrontation is partially foiled by an unconceivable element. After Cha releases his brother and sister and gets revenge on his boss which is all done nicely, the filmmakers felt it necessary to drag the two escapees back into the fray. They return to the triads’ hideout with the police in order to save Cha, something no law enforcement agency would allow. And their very presence basically has the opposite effect as Cha’s main rival uses them as a way to get at Cha before the police close in. Despite this slipup, the film is wrapped up in a satisfying, but bittersweet ending that maintains the severity of the film’s tone.

Reunion is a relatively small budget drama, with artistic ambitions more akin to Carol Lai’s Glass Tears. The action is minimal and used only to reinforce an emotional story. But thanks to engaging performances and a fine attention to detail in the narrative, the film draws you in personally as many action films fail to do and adds meaning to the violent climax. This is recommended to viewers preferring strong character development over stylized violence.