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Cast:
Shawn
Yu
Wong
You Man
Gillian
Chung
Charlene
Choi
Eric
Kot
Anthony
Wong
Andrea
Choi
Sam
Lee (cameo)
Vincent
Kok (cameo)
Lam
Suet (cameo)
Chapman
To (cameo)
Writer:
Riley
Ip
Producer:
Carl
Chang
Director
:
Riley
Ip
Score:
 
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JUST
ONE LOOK
AKA:
N/A
Year:
2002 Reviewer: Andrew
Saroch
With
the critically-lauded 'Metade Fumaca', director Riley Ip moved
from being a director of definite potential (as was indicated
by the popular 'Love Is Not A Game, But A Joke') to one of
Hong Kong's foremost visionaries. His gradual popularity as a
director then saw him move onto the more mainstream production
'Just One Look' which featured prominent roles for 'Twins' -
the bright and breezy pop-combo of Charlene Choi and Gillian
Chung. Despite an obvious fear on my part that this would
compromise a film-maker who remains so important to modern
Hong Kong cinema, I was pleasantly surprised to find that
'Just One Look' is much more than just a teen popcorn movie.
In fact, I'd have to go so far as to say that it is definite
gem.
As
a small boy, Fan (Yu) adores his policeman father (a cameo by
Sam Lee) and enjoys frequent trips to the cinema with him to
watch the latest blockbuster. One evening, Fan's father
disappears during the film and is found dead in the toilets, a
tragedy that the youngster blames on local thug Crazy (Wong).
Growing up in the late 60s and early 70s, Fan continues to
dream of avenging his father's death and secretly torments
Crazy with the help of a trusty catapult. Meanwhile he also
begins taking an interest in a beautiful stranger who lives in
the local nunnery, while his best friend Ming only has eyes
for Nam - the daughter of a stoic kung-fu master (Kot). As
both friends begin to learn about love, the shadow of Crazy
continues to haunt Fan's life and his determination for
revenge remains undiminished.
'Metade
Fumaca' was a film that showed Riley Ip's concentration on
nostalgia and, more significantly, the beguiling nature of
memory. 'Just One Look' is fully absorbed in Ip's fascination
with such themes and once again blends in a genuine sense of
humanity. While 'Metade Fumaca' gave a sensitive portrayal of
what essentially was a 'father' and 'son' relationship, 'Just
One Look' deals with the tribulations of youth. The director's
triumph within such a simple premise is to combine elements of
pathos with moments of humour; the lead character Fan is faced
with problems both taxing and superficial, yet neither is
squeezed out in favour of the other. Such a majestic eye for
character development and a real understanding of how to
create humane characters means that 'Just One Look' is some
way above expectations.
The
performances within the film build a strong spine for the
other qualities of the production to add to. In the role of
Fan, Shawn Yu - often seen as one of the stars of the future -
excels, superbly handling the complexities and varying
emotions of his character. Wong You Man is a flawless sidekick
for Shawn Yu's towering performance while 'Twins' Charlene
Choi and Gillian Chung have never been better. As with 'Metade
Fumaca', Riley Ip throws together the stars of the future with
the thespian legends that Hong Kong has; Anthony Wong is one
such performer, an actor whose performances are rarely below
the first class. Wong is at first a repellent character with
little to recommend him, but Ip cleverly shows how much hidden
depth 'Crazy' has - so much so that, by the end of the film,
the viewer's feeling towards him verges on sympathy.
The
'icing on the cake' of this breath-taking film is a number of
wonderful moments of nostalgia and directorial invention. Fans
of 70s Hong Kong cinema will adore Ip's gentle pastiches of
some of the Jade Screen's greatest scenes; from a sublime
allusion to 'A Touch Of Zen' to Eric Kot's inspired rantings
about kung-fu films, 'Just One Look' is full of a genuine love
for the great movies of the past. Ip also includes a magical
montage scene that features the particularly pleasant 'Twins'
version of 'Melody Fair'; reminiscent of the famous 'Piano'
scene in 'Metade Fumaca', this sequence creates a memory that
lingers long after the final credits have rolled. 'Just One
Look' is a must-see production that is light years ahead of
the average teen movie. Amusing (though never crude) and
nostalgic (though never overly sentimental), Riley Ip's gentle
'coming-of-age' comedy/drama earns a major recommendation.
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