An important figure in the new wave of films hitting Hong Kong in the early 1980s, for instance the social drama Nomad starring Cecilia Yip, Leslie Cheung and Pat Ha. Although he gave us the best swordplay movie ever via The Sword during this time as well. Not a hefty amount of directorial worked follow and the director even expressed a dissatisfaction with his work as time passed. The completion of My Heart Is That Eternal Rose initiated a hiatus from the director's chair but having mentored Wong Kar-Wai earlier, he was employed to edit his classics Days Of Being Wild, Ashes Of Time and more recently Election for Johnnie To. Although he had relocated to Malaysia to teach film studies, something came across him that kickstarted creativity. A story about a father who taught his son to be a thief so having no pressure on him to deliver immediately, a process taking close to 10 years paid off when After This Our Exile was finished and reaped coveted awards across Asia. In addition to that came the critical acclaim but more importantly, a warm welcome hug from parts of the fan community (it's genre cinema after all, can't be noticed by all). This important but not overly prolific pro of a filmmaker is Patrick Tam.

After This Our Exile was released in different versions in China, Hong Kong and Malaysia (for censoring and commercial reasons), all supervised by Tam who served as chief editor but the version running 159 minutes came to be the director's cut (about 40 minutes longer than the Hong Kong cinema edit) and that's what the review is basing its train of thoughts on. Thoughts leaning towards praising a very long but engrossing experience that inspires more than it touches but neither would be an unacceptable verdict for Mr. Tam I'm sure.

If this film touches your heart, I hope it comes not from an excess of sentiments but a moving experience that endures reflection" - Patrick Tam.

This blurb signals confidence, a particular style of filmmaking and a thoroughly enticing invitation. Especially so since I am a fan of quiet, subtle filmmaking...when done right obviously. Involving himself heavily, in addition to being director and co-writer, Tam has credits as part of the art directing department, editing and the music design so naturally we're dealing with a character that needs to be hands on. All for the sake of cinematic passion and perfection. Nothing original about that but few can make the actual passion and creativity happen. And it does, molded out of a very simple template of one father (Aaron Kwok), one mother (Charlie Yeong) and one son (Gow Ian Iskander). Tam utilizes a very straightforward frame where nonsense such as specific props, in specific colours does NOT speak of political climate, are pre-cursors of things to come or carry any other pretentious ideas. Props are there to make the environment real and Tam smoothly makes it so by superbly establishing the cracks in the family unit. Cracks that are not hidden. On the contrary, they're about to open up to gorge like proportions. We ask ourselves what's driving Charlie Yeong's Lin to pack up and leave EVERYHING behind as it's a irrational decision that she only gains from, not having to deal with anything anymore. One wouldn't blame her though for desiring to leave Aaron Kwok's Shing as he's a gambler, a low-life and a pretty piss poor family man all round.

In the opening reels, Patrick Tam pushes with edits that are cut with a rusty knife, imposes Kinson Tsang's (Dumplings) sound design to easily get us on the edge and gives us a taste of the classic reasoning of the abusive, low life husband. After smacking up Lin in the streets and locking her in the bedroom, he not only doesn't have the correct key to free her so he has to kick in the door, he puts forth his reconciliation act by treating her wounds and eventually getting her to commit to the basic need of sex. A not so long lasting emotional devotion so Tam (and co-writer Tian Koi-Leong's) points are made clear, very well. We are in for a rollercoaster ride that can end up just about anywhere, all wrapped in little to none stylistic excess (again, Tam's effective cuts only stand out in that regard).

It's important to give it some thought whether or not Tam deserves such a long running time and/or attention and it certainly is an argument that After This Our Exile is just a series of despair-vignettes. But closing our eyes towards horrors of the world, be it in the grand scale of things or within this bubble placed in Malaysia he argues is simply wrong and experiencing these adult characters making utterly repulsive decisions IS worthy of attention. Especially so since Tam is terrific at making us sit tight and PAY attention. We're never numbed but in an agreeable way ready for a 2 hour plus challenge that mainly lets us follow the effects on the young boy as it turns out.

Gow Ian Iskander's Boy has been forced to probably witness multiple attempts by his mother to leave the abusive surroundings, be it physical or mentally, and he's received a compelling arc where he clearly tries to embody the glue in order to keep the family together, even through the worst of times. Eventually abandoned by his mother, in a difficult attempt to maintain family balance he stays with the father whose parenting is pretty out of whack. Definitely the most distressing parts of film are the numerous moments where there's such a strain put on the little boy internally as he watches his father's self realization lasting mere seconds at best. As quick as he is to self loathe, Kwok's Shing comes to life again to justify the ways he makes a living (being a pimp briefly at one point) and even when the umpteenth time hits where he promises to turn their lives around, the upright morals gets smothered quickly by the desperation of being poor. Initiative should've still grown out of the situation. We watch in horror and gasp when Boy is taught petty thievery or is almost abandoned totally by his father (who buys him beer, a banana split and for once pats him gently on the head as a goodbye gesture).

Patrick Tam doesn't flinch indeed but doesn't beat us over the head during the picture-esque but suitably plain looking journey lensed by Mark Lee (a genius at creating a natural frame with colourful detail). He's absolutely right to criticize dysfunctional family chemistry the way he does and he very much bring a terrific perception of reality for the centerpiece of the film that is Boy. Anchored strongly by newbie Gow Ian Iskander, he's asked to take a deep dive into challenging acting, which is very much hands on and about communicating through presence and looks. That's the support a director has to embody and especially this one does with his sharp eye on the thoroughly ongoing development of the story. Undoubtedly the best performance in the film but Aaron Kwok's stunning and relentless transformation into Shing was deservedly commended. Of course the story accompanying After This Our Exile needs outbursts and Kwok is certainly noticeable when employing those but he's so alive in the part. Alive in the surroundings created for him and brave to let his pop star status rot to immerse himself into a character that may or may not inspire in the slightest in the long run. Charlie Yeong is equally strong in a small part calling for apathy as much as lack of courage that instead leads to the irrational bravery to deal with the dysfunctional situation. In fact, After This Our Exile is superbly cast in terms of support and minor roles as well, which is why it's hard to say a lot about Qin Hailu and Kelly Lin's appearances in the film as they are characters that fit into the grid of the story, even though they're temporary pit stops for our main subjects only.

Patrick Tam is pretty open about the fact that he's not out to please everyone because not every genre does. He pours his heart and soul into the largely tough watch After This Our Exile is and despite a hefty running time and stretches that appear slow, it seems awfully hard to find anything wrong about his return to Hong Kong cinema. If you don't want to experience this kind of story, you don't have to and Tam won't ever protest against that. His sole demand seems to be to ask an audience to take something (even if it only has to do with mere minutes of his story) with them into their brains, into their hearts or into their conscience. Devoted viewers that are hopefully not apathetic themselves will easily feel in individual ways and being devotees of film presumably too, Patrick Tam's extremely assured, calm handling of the material is hopefully prime material for being hailed. If a hook of a film concerns dreams of bliss, when hurt will stop and what will happen to characters in the midst of this, it will attract initially. After This Our Exile does for its long stay.

Note: If you purchase this DVD, do NOT read the synopsis on the back of the DVD. It details the film's plot word for word. Also, the DVD reviewed is of the Theatrical, 120 minutes cut of the film.

Set in a relatively timeless period in China, a young boy lives in poor conditions within the quaint, yet faintly rundown streets of a small town. His family has little money since his patriarchal chef father throws his meager earnings away on gambling and booze. The boy struggles for his own bus fare to carry him to school. It's a dynamic that's been clearly existent for some time now, gauging the boy and his mother's irritation with the father's lack of care. One morning, the mother finally reaches her boiling point. She makes sure to give her son some money and, as she believes him to have disappeared, starts to rapidly pack her things. The young boy catches a glimpse of this and scurries to his father's restaurant to inform the wayward patriarch of his woman's activity. After some strong arguing amidst the family, their dynamic changes when the mother manages to disappear from their lives.

What's left are the exploits of a horrible father and a malleable son looking for some form of guidance amidst the fog of young childhood. After This Our Exile makes certain to equip us with the proper surroundings and demeanor for a bumpy, harsh ride through domestic upheaval. There's very little money and a father who consistently throws any that comes into the house away or trivialities. When it runs out, he resorts to manipulation of his environment, including his son and a sad turn towards thievery, to get as much as he can without working for it. This lingers throughout a vast majority of the film in a fully uncomfortable and disheartening demeanor.

Instead of giving us depth into the psyche of this father, this film maintains a singularly focused purpose on the father-son relation split in two directions. After This Our Exile invokes both hatred for the father and empathy for his boy, then fails to delve any further with the verbose and narrative. Just as another layer of the father's boorish Neanderthal persona might be revealed, he ends up acting in a similar manner to the rest of his missteps that resurrects that already existent, off-putting hatred. There are several missed opportunities to open up this central figure to the film, whether it is revelations of darker or lighter corners of his existence. This dynamic instead maintains a grinding, embittered focus with nothing more but wishes for the child to escape.

Interestingly enough, it all seems naturally executed just as the filmmaker desired. Ambiguity about the father's infuriatingly sinister persona could resemble nothing more than the child's outlook, lacking anything more than what's seen before his (and our) eyes. And, if these dynamics alone are the purpose of this film, then After This Our Exile accomplishes them honorably. There's quality performances littered throughout the film, none lacking the predisposed personality that they need to carry throughout the film. Most prominent is Aaron Kwok as the harsh father. A fine line exists between eye-rolling discomfort and invested hatred within a vile character, and Kwok dances along this line with brash, repulsive polish. Within his unbridled actions, he makes certain that we altogether hate the father with genuine, fiery rage. Though there's not much else to it, at least Kwok plasters that emotion with smattering force.

Beautifully shot and accompanied by a simple, poignant score, After This Our Exile churns out as an attractively well crafted, one-dimensional character drama lacking the depth to achieve greatness. Director Tam makes sure to pull in the necessary compassion and disgust for the respective players, achieving a basic but effective dynamic between the son and father. Even amidst an ending that attempts to scrounge up some reflection and consolation, this tale ultimately satisfies merely surface level insight. Undeniable quality stirs within this film, but only a light dusting blows to the top.

Final Thoughts: After This Our Exile boasts performances that draw in the attention and feelings of the viewer atop a minimal, mildly aggravating narrative. Rich with splendid visuals and music, this is a film that achieves a lot with the elements at play, but could've achieved more with just a bit more focus on the depth and brevity of its potential. ...After This Our Exile is a decent film that comes with a strong suggestion for a Rental before purchase.

Levity aside, After This Our Exile is a dark look into relationships. This isn't up to the Wong Kar-Wai stage on the depress-o-meter, but it's certainly very far removed from the brainless "popcorn" films Kwok is usually asscoiated with.

That may be a huge blow to his teenybopper fanbase, but to any halfway serious HK film fan, it's a breath of fresh air. It's really refreshing seeing a film-maker take a mature approach, instead of the pablum geared for the MTV crowd far too many of them have been pumping out in recent years.

The film centers around a couple, Shing (Kwok) and Lin (Charlie Yeung), who have been sticking together depsite Shing's gambling problem for the sake of their son, Lok-Yun (Goum Ian Iskandar). However, after years of abuse, Lin runs off to marry her lover, leaving Shing and Lok-Yun feeling wounded. Not only that, but Shing's gambling debts soon leave them holed up in a fleabag motel, where they must turn to crime to pay the bills.

This could be Lifetime movie of the week drivel here, but the performances make everything much more believeable. Charlie Yeung is outstanding and heartbreaking as the battered wife, but special note must be made of Goum Ian Iskandar.

Normally, child actors drive me insane, but his performance here is one of the best I saw in a movie from 2006, by adult or child, from anywhere in the world. Apparently, the local critics agree, as he has won a Golden Horse award and is nominated for a Hong Kong Film Award for his work here.

And, again, where the hell has Aaron Kwok's acting talent been hiding all these years? There are entire movies of his where he doesn't even bat an eyelash, but he runs the full gamut of emotions here, and does so very effectively.

Perhaps, like Andy Lau before him, Kwok realizes that he's getting up there in years and simply can't survive on just his good looks anymore. At any rate, I hope this marks the start of a new phase in Kwok's career.

After This Our Exile isn't the type of movie this site normally covers, but it is so solid that it deserves your attention. If your Hong Kong movie diet just consists of kung fu and gunplay, do yourself a favor and check this movie out. It's definitely one of the better movies to come out of Hong Kong in 2006.