They say that New York is the city that never sleeps? Well obviously whomever came up with that phrase never set foot in Hong Kong, or much less set foot in Mongkok.
As an avid fan of Asian cinema and Hong Kong cinema, and having lived four years in Hong Kong and going shopping twice or thrice a week in Mongkok, it was with some interest that I sat down to watch "One Night in Mongkok". And it was really nice to sit and watch the movie and recognize the occasional place and location, that was a trip down memory lane for me. However, I think that the movie essentially fails to fully show just how populated Mongkok really is, which would be essential, especially as they proclaim that it is the most densely populated place in the world as the movie comes to an end.
Anyway, the story in "One Night in Mongkok" was a bit jumpy and going to and fro, and never really fully closing up the story lines that it opened up. The movie was trying too much, but didn't fully manage to accomplish all it was setting out to do. I was left with a bit too many unanswered and unfulfilled things in the movie that I would have liked closed or brought to peace.
If you are familiar with Hong Kong cinema, then you will see a bunch of known (and somewhat familiar) faces. They had put together a rather good ensemble of actors and actresses for this movie. Normally I am not a fan of Daniel Wu (playing Lai-fu) as he usually comes off a arrogant and aloof, but he actually managed to put on a great performance in this movie, and I think, that it is actually, to date, the best performance I have seen him do. However, he wasn't alone in carrying the movie alone; Cecilia Cheung (playing Dandan) and Alex Fong (playing officer Milo) really helped the movie along as well. It was nice to see Cecilia Cheung in a more serious and mature role than what she usually do (which is basically romantic comedies).
"One Night in Mongkok" is a rather brutal and honest movie, that cuts straight to the bone and doesn't wrap things in plastic. This is the story of people making a living in the seedy underbelly of the flashy and neon-lit streets of Mongkok. But it is more than that; it is also the story of Mainland Chinese trying to get by in Hong Kong, and trust me, the Hong Kong Chinese does treat the Chinese from China as if they are lesser beings, sadly enough (yeah, I have seen that type of racism when I lived there). But more importantly, it is also a story of being human and trying to get by with the cards that you are dealt by an often unfair and harsh life. And, of course, it is a story of 'cat after mouse'.
"One Night in Mongkok" is good entertainment, combining action with drama and suspense. And it actually comes together well enough for a full story, though there are bits and ends hanging here and there unfinished and unanswered. But in overall, "One Night in Mongkok" is a good movie. And if you like Asian cinema with a story that is a bit more compelling and in-depth than your average action and Kung Fu movie, then "One Night in Mongkok" is well worth picking out for a watching.
As an avid fan of Asian cinema and Hong Kong cinema, and having lived four years in Hong Kong and going shopping twice or thrice a week in Mongkok, it was with some interest that I sat down to watch "One Night in Mongkok". And it was really nice to sit and watch the movie and recognize the occasional place and location, that was a trip down memory lane for me. However, I think that the movie essentially fails to fully show just how populated Mongkok really is, which would be essential, especially as they proclaim that it is the most densely populated place in the world as the movie comes to an end.
Anyway, the story in "One Night in Mongkok" was a bit jumpy and going to and fro, and never really fully closing up the story lines that it opened up. The movie was trying too much, but didn't fully manage to accomplish all it was setting out to do. I was left with a bit too many unanswered and unfulfilled things in the movie that I would have liked closed or brought to peace.
If you are familiar with Hong Kong cinema, then you will see a bunch of known (and somewhat familiar) faces. They had put together a rather good ensemble of actors and actresses for this movie. Normally I am not a fan of Daniel Wu (playing Lai-fu) as he usually comes off a arrogant and aloof, but he actually managed to put on a great performance in this movie, and I think, that it is actually, to date, the best performance I have seen him do. However, he wasn't alone in carrying the movie alone; Cecilia Cheung (playing Dandan) and Alex Fong (playing officer Milo) really helped the movie along as well. It was nice to see Cecilia Cheung in a more serious and mature role than what she usually do (which is basically romantic comedies).
"One Night in Mongkok" is a rather brutal and honest movie, that cuts straight to the bone and doesn't wrap things in plastic. This is the story of people making a living in the seedy underbelly of the flashy and neon-lit streets of Mongkok. But it is more than that; it is also the story of Mainland Chinese trying to get by in Hong Kong, and trust me, the Hong Kong Chinese does treat the Chinese from China as if they are lesser beings, sadly enough (yeah, I have seen that type of racism when I lived there). But more importantly, it is also a story of being human and trying to get by with the cards that you are dealt by an often unfair and harsh life. And, of course, it is a story of 'cat after mouse'.
"One Night in Mongkok" is good entertainment, combining action with drama and suspense. And it actually comes together well enough for a full story, though there are bits and ends hanging here and there unfinished and unanswered. But in overall, "One Night in Mongkok" is a good movie. And if you like Asian cinema with a story that is a bit more compelling and in-depth than your average action and Kung Fu movie, then "One Night in Mongkok" is well worth picking out for a watching.