As I said (before I got into lesson one of "Milkyway Films 101"), I was disappointed with "Where A Good Man Goes". Recently, I decided to re-watch the film and get a second opinion? This time around, appreciated it much more. The appreciation probably came from the fact that the Hong Kong film industry is seriously lacking in the gangster/crime genre. Come to think of it, even steady action films or good dramas are almost nowhere to be found. So basically, this is one of those instances of "You don't know what you have until you lost it". In this case, that might be stretching it, but then again, I went from practically hating this film, to liking it. Besides, it's nice to see Lau Ching Wan play a gangster for one of the last times in his career before the "ghosts" and "bra designers" kicked in.

The film's plot centers on Michael (Lau Ching Wan), an ex-gang leader who has just been released from prison. On the first night of freedom, he instantly pisses a taxi driver off, this causes the driver to physically attack him. Out of self defense, Michael takes on the taxi driver - this little duel turns into a "one vs. many" rumble when the cabbie's co-workers pull up and join in on the beating. Victoriously, Michael takes them all on and shows 'em who's bad. After the fight , the barely-injured Michael notices a hotel which he decides to stay in for the night. The hotel is owned by a struggling widow named Siu (played by the underrated Ruby Wong) and her young son. Both had just witnessed Michael's violent encounter with the taxi drivers, this causes a natural, but sweet, tension between them and Michael.

During Michael's first night at the hotel, he immediately feels warm and at home. Despite Michael's temper tantrums, Siu treats him as if he were a VIP, offering services she wouldn't normally do which includes getting him cigarettes and making him meals even though the hotel's restaurant is defunct. Even when an asshole cop (played by Lam Suet) tries to blame Michael for starting the "taxi" brawl, Siu stands up for him. It's during this time that Michael grows for Siu and her son with a feeling he's never felt before - a feeling of having a woman that truly cares, and a son who looks up to him as a father-figure.

The plot thickens as Siu's hotel is in the state of being repossessed by the bank, due to her constant financial hardship. Now that the hotel is sort of a "home" for Michael, he takes action and decides to help Siu financially by hitting the streets and getting back what he once had: money, and lots of it.

As he hustles the streets, Michael realizes that he had lost his power, mostly while he was serving time in prison. His old gang mates are now helpless hoodlums, his partners have fucked him over in shares, and his bitchy ex-girlfriend took all his money while he was in the cell. What makes matters even worse is the asshole cop responsible for putting him behind bars is watching his every move, so committing a crime isn't exactly the best thing to do at the moment, or is it? Deep down inside, Michael must choose between reviving his life of crime and taking whatever penalties it may hold; or he must learn to accept that his successful days of gangsterism are now gone. In between all this is Siu, her son, and a hotel that they're about to lose.

"Where A Good Man Goes" is a gangster film that's high on human drama, and low on violence. It's a heartfelt film about about changing your life, and letting go of the past - no matter how much you loved it. Look out for fine performances by the two leads as well as a superb "love to hate him" role by Lam Suet.