Cast Member: Dennis Chan

‘A Simple Life’ is the perfect marriage of arthouse style and heart-rending substance.

Jacob Cheung’s celebrated drama is that magical juxtaposition of gritty social commentary and absorbing character study that many lesser directors aspire to replicate.

Chan Wai-Man and Lau Kar-Wing do make a good Sid James and Bernard Bresslaw-type double-act. Only with more fighting ability.

Patrick Tam’s ‘Cherie’ is, simply put, little more than a moderately average eighties romantic comedy and decidedly underwhelming when compared against any of the true “greats” of the era.

It will forever be a footnote in Yeoh’s career (especially now) but it offers a comforting bit of nostalgia. And not a great deal else, sadly.

‘Fight Back To School’ is one of the finest films in the Stephen Chow back catalogue, and one of my favourite Hong Kong comedies of all time.

‘Heart Into Hearts’ is subsequently a perfect example of the law of diminishing returns, a sequel that tries to impress with its relative opulence but forgets how important its characters are.

With consistent pacing, a convincing story and an effortless mixture of comedy and romance, it is no wonder that ‘Heart To Hearts’ was successful enough to spawn two sequels and numerous imitators.

‘I Love Maria’ offers a very good 100 minutes of entertainment for those who are looking for something new within Hong Kong cinema.

Despite attempting to use several of the same ingredients, the serious tone mixed with sub-par fight sequences and an overly familiar plot somehow manages to suck all of the fun out of it.

If you’re looking for a low budget action movie with some explosions and cheap fist fights, ‘Kickboxer 3’ might just pass for some late night entertainment.

Though director Norman Law sets up a few interesting rivalries between the characters, the film tends to get too bogged down in its teen romance sub-plot.