| Directed by Johnny To and starring Lau Ching Wan and Carmen Lee... Okay, STOP: Knowing these three things, who wouldn't want to watch this movie? I'm a little late, I know, but I finally got the DVD and what do you know? It's pretty good. It's no A Hero Never Dies, but better than Where A Good Man Goes and Running Out Time (and its sequel). In fact, it's better than a bunch of shit you could have watched back then, and better than a lot of shit that's out now. No digital effects, no Thai guys doing circus crap; just a straight up melodrama/cop flick with nice direction and solid performances.
Loving You was made in 1995 under the Shaw Brothers label, just before Johnny To (and his collaborative partner, Wai Ka-Fai) formed Milkyway Image. Loving You isn't as slick as some of the films he would produce under his new label in the coming years, but it's easy to notice that it's a right step towards perfection, at least in the case of his work with his best actor, Lau Ching Wan. It's not like Johnny To was a stranger to making fine films (See: All About Ah Long and A Moment in Romance), but he tends to outdo (and undo) himself as time goes on.
Bottom line: If you've seen and loved most of the Milkway films w/Lau Ching Wan, give this one a try. Besides, it's a great warm up for the upcoming Johnny To/Lau Ching Wan flick, Mad Detective. Take it from me, because unlike Yi Long, I have fine taste in films. |
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