Joyleen Christensen's Top Ten Hong Kong Movies x2
Many contributors to this section found it difficult to pare down
their favourites to ten, but none have failed more spectacularly than Joyleen. She has
submitted two lists - All-Time Classic Top Ten HK Films, and her Personal Top Ten. Because
all of her descriptions are lively and entertaining, I've let her get away with it. Over
to her:
I always knew that some day the time would come when I would be forced to sit down and
actually sort out which of those little gems of Hong Kong cinema I would put before all
else. Do you have any idea the mental anguish that you have put me through? Nevertheless,
after much anxiety, I have managed to squish together a list of my so-called
"All-time Classic" HK films, as well as a top-ten of my "Personal
Favourites".
Taking into account the odd condensing of a series here and a few "Honourable
Mentions" there, I think I have contained myself to approximately 50 of my TOP 10
favourite films. Believe me I tried to stay within the quota, but it is simply impossible.
Even now, I get a bit faint when I think of the films I have had to leave out. So don't
say you weren't warned!
ALL-TIME CLASSIC TOP TEN HK FILMS
ie. Absolutely Mandatory Viewing. If you have not seen every film on this list, chances
are that you have missed 90% of the in-jokes that are littered throughout all HK films.
Here goes,
10. THE KILLER
Cool Hitman and Rebel Cop as kindred spirits. Can the bond last, will they all
live happily ever after or will it end in a shower of bullets and blood? I'll give you a
hint - it was directed by John Woo. Enough said? Yep, I thought so.
9. A JACKIE CHAN FILM
Too many ... Brain hurts... . After much consideration I have decided on Armour
of God. Or Drunken Master II. Perhaps Young Master. Maybe Dragons
Forever, Canton and Mrs. Rose, Project A, Twin Dragons, Dragon
Lord, or Police Story. Well, now that I've done the hard part, stop
screaming "cheat!" (I am aware that I have already reached the limit of ten
films), and just pick one and get on with it.
8. STORMRIDERS
What can I say? This movie is SOOOO cool! The story, the acting, the moves, the
sets, the costumes, the names - the HAIR! (How does a one-armed hero manage to keep
rinsing blue hairdye through his pretty little locks?)
7. CHINESE GHOST STORY
A cult favourite, and deservedly so. Poor Leslie! One of the most wonderfully
effective, bumbling heroes to ever grace the screen since Indiana Jones.
6. A MOMENT OF ROMANCE
Triad boy kidnaps rich girl - they fall in love - they are separated - they spend
a night riding around HK on a motorbike in wedding gear - Boy dies. You know, that tried
and true old storyline. Simply brilliant. Also, one of the plethora of Andy Lau films in
which the superb all-rounder carks it. But then, he does do it *so* well.
5. A BETTER TOMORROW
Chow Yun-Fat is brilliant. Ti Lung is brilliant. Leslie Cheung is brilliant. Need
I say it - this film is brilliant. Talk about conflict. Ex-triad, Ho (Ti Lung) is torn
between the desire to seek revenge with his crippled triad "brother", Mark (Chow
Yun-Fat), and trying to patch up the relationship with his real brother, gung-ho cop, Kit
(Leslie Cheung), who holds Ho responsible for their fathers death. Can you say
"emotional baggage", kiddies?
4. YOUNG AND DANGEROUS SERIES
Yes, I am aware that I am cheating again, but you just can't separate them. Can
you? Nup, didn't think so! Now, stick you thumb in your ear (or a finger up your nose),
sit back, and marvel as the eternally-jinxed Nam and his loyal buddies sort out all the
bad eggs of the HK triad society. Gee, I wonder if that cemetery bulk bills?
3. GODS OF GAMBLERS
I will admit it. I was totally shocked the first time I saw this film. It starts
off just as you would expect - an unbelievably debonair Chow Yun-Fat dazzling all with his
gambling prowess, just oozing coolness. Then, BAM! The film does a 360 and becomes a
comedy, and quite a corny one, at that. This is probably one of the first instances of
TRUE HK cinema that I ever came across. ie. where the stylised mix of drama, comedy,
action and romance are par for the course. End result is, I loved it, and I am greatly
enjoying my ongoing search for more of these punchy little genre-cocktails.
2. BULLET IN THE HEAD
Few films have the power behind them that this one does. Jacky Cheung is at his
sweetest and most endearing best, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai is fantastic as the honourable hero
of the piece, Simon Yam is gloriously charming as usual, and then, there is that evil,
EVIL man. For those that haven't seen the film, I won't spoil it. But I will give this
warning, one moment you are enjoying yourself quite nicely, the next your heart is being
wrenched from your chest, through your throat, using a red-hot pair of rusty tongs. ...
You're booing, your cheering. It is a total attack on your senses, and it's damn fine
filmmaking too! Watch it!
1. ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA
I knew I should have put Bullet in the Head at number one, because, now
that I have brought the whole experience back, I am a bit too stewed up to write a
suitably glowing report of this film. So, I will just say that it is fantastic and
everybody should love it. A further note, it has the best opening title of any film I have
ever seen. The visuals are breathtaking and the theme song is tops, not too mention, being
incredibly catchy.
Wow, I never thought we'd get here, but, that's it.
MY PERSONAL TOP TEN
Translation: Movies I can't even begin to imagine living without.
Though I consider many of these films to actually be better than some of the
"All-time Classic HK Films" that I have listed, they may not be generally
accepted as being representative of HK cinema. Other films on this list may have readily
identifiable "flaws", while others still may be plain ridiculous. However, each
of these films have their own intrinsic qualities that I find totally engrossing. So,
without further adieu,
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
(Films that didn't make the cut, but I have to include anyway):
Shanghai Grand, Days of Being Wild, The Kid, Future Cops, Chinese Ghost Story 2, High
Risk, Tricky Brains, Moonlight Express, Forbidden City Cop, The Bride with White Hair,
City on Fire, Days of Being Dumb, A True Mob Story, A Better Tomorrow, Ashes of Time, He's
A Woman She's A Man, A Hero Never Dies, King of Comedy, Fallen Angels, Anna Magdalena,
Bullets Over Summer, The Banquet.
10. EAGLE SHOOTING HEROES
An ensemble of some of HK's finest actors (Leslie Cheung, Jacky Cheung, Tony
Leung Chiu-Wai, Maggie Cheung and Bridgitte Lin, just to mention a few). It is so
colourful, so incredibly farcical, basically, it is totally bizarre. How they got them all
to agree to it is a question that will haunt me for the rest of my life. That being said,
I can't stop watching it. And, as an added bonus, it has that wonderful theme song, sung
by Jacky Cheung (one of my all-time favourite singers).
9. ONCE A THIEF
Chow Yun-Fat and Leslie Cheung back together again! The scene in which they steal
the painting from the castle, alone is worth the price of the movie.
8. COMRADES: ALMOST A LOVE STORY
An epic, and a sweet one at that. I like this movie *so* much. Everything about
it is just spot on. A little warning though, you will be singing the Theresa Tang theme
song for weeks to come. It is even more catchy than the Once Upon a Time in China theme,
if such a thing is actually possible.
7. ALL WELL, ENDS WELL
Stephen Chiau and Sandra Ng are at their silly comedic best and Maggie Cheung is
astoundingly funny. Basically, it is a strong cast all round. However, for me, the real
treat of this movie is Leslie Cheung (surprise, surprise). Rarely have I enjoyed a
character as much as his wonderfully bitchy, So. The self-parody flies thick and fast and
it is genuinely one of the most hilarious things I have ever seen.
6. HAPPY TOGETHER
One may be forgiven for thinking that I like Leslie Cheung movies a fair bit.
Indeed, even the most cursory of glances will reveal that five of his movies are listed
here, with another eleven filling out the "Honourable Mentions" section. That
makes it a total of sixteen Leslie Cheung movies in my personal top ten. Not a bad average
at all - I am sure you would agree. Averages aside, I HAVE to list this film, because,
along with being generally fantastic, it is one of only a handful of films to ever draw a
tear from my eye. It is very different from the usual HK fare and both Leslie Cheung and
Tony Leung Chiu-Wai excel themselves (Hard to imagine when you consider how good they
usually are).
5. YOUNG AND DANGEROUS
As with all series, the more you get to see of certain characters the more you
feel you know about them. One of the few wonderful surprises with these films is that the
characters have so many dimensions - they are never predictable, nor erratic. For example,
there will be times when you are smiling to yourself, thinking "Wow, that is sooo
Chook!", and yet in the next scene you will be totally taken back by what that
character has just done. A very enjoyable bunch of films that, once again, illustrate how
effective a movie can be when the elements of drama, action, romance and comedy are mixed
in just the right proportions.
4. PRINCE CHARMING
I can not even begin to calculate how many times I have watched this film,
especially the first hour (the action and drama towards the end is a bit of a shock to the
system after the wonderfully light-hearted romantic comedy of the first three quarters of
the film). Andy Lau does an absolutely fantastic job as Wah, I would even go so far as to
say that it is probably my favourite of all his roles. The rest of the cast similarly
great, though special mention must go to Deannie Yip as Wah's mother, Nick Cheung as Wah's
best friend, Tart, and Suki Kwan as Tart's long-suffering girlfriend, Salad.
3. RUNNING OUT OF TIME
Though the film is a recent release, I do not believe time will soften my
attitude towards it, and, therefore, I am confident that it well deserves it's high
position in this list. It is a positively dynamic film and the play between Andy Lau (he
just keeps getting better) and Lau Ching-Wan has all the chemistry filmgoers could
possibly dream of. It is very impressive visually, the plot is tight and the action moves
along at a swift pace. A cool movie in which both the performances and the script hold
their own nicely against the superb production.
2. BULLET IN THE HEAD
Re: reference in "All-Time Classic HK Films". I am afraid if I start in
on this film again I may not be able to devote sufficient attention to my number one film,
and that would be simply unforgivable.
1. FAREWELL, MY CONCUBINE
I actually used this film as a basis for my major essay at uni this year, but I
promise this comment won't be *quite* as long as that. Not to put too fine a point on it,
this film literally changed my life. I had been interested in filmmaking for many years,
however this desire pretty much fell by the wayside, dampened, no doubt, by so many
Hollywood blockbusters. And then, I saw this film, which is, in a word, PERFECT. Now my
Economics degree sits on a shelf and I am back slogging it out at uni, majoring in Asian
history and film, and loving every second of it. While all the films listed here have
fostered my ever-expanding love of HK cinema, this is the one that lit that first spark.
So, if you are sick of reading all my meandering thoughts, at least now you know where to
place the blame.
8 Dec 1999 © Joyleen Christensen
JOYLEEN CHRISTENSEN is currently
undertaking a Bachelor of Arts degree (majoring in Film and History - to be more specific,
Chinese Film and History) at the University of Newcastle. This is her second appearance on
Heroic Cinema - check out her Sydney
report on the 1999 Hong Kong Film Festival.
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