To Live And Die In Tsimshatsui (Hong Kong, 1994)




 'To Live And Die In Tsimshatsui' is the seventh film from future 'Young And Dangerous' director Andrew Lau, starring Jacky Cheung, Tony Leung Ka-fai and Roy Cheung. It's a mob film. An undercover cop mob film. Set in Hong Kong. From Andrew Lau.


Hmm.

Is it any good?

The story is basic. Jacky Cheung is Crazy Lik. He's a policeman, infiltrating the triads. He's questioning his place in life. He's drinking too much. His woman is drifting away. His police sergeant is retiring, the replacement is a prick. Such a prick he steals Lik's woman. Cue triad tit for triad tat. Choppers, drugs, drinking games, shakedowns, machine guns.

"Am I ghost? Or am I human?"

Crazy Lik just perhaps might be going crazy.

Cue conflicted mucho monstrous angry angst. Lik seeeeeeeeethes! Lik booooooozes! Lik sobs post fuck blues!

This film is standard genre fare. Lau funks it up with amphetamine camera work. Wong Kar Wai midnight surf through the Hong Kong night. Policemen, hawkers and whores in the vibrant neon of Hong Kong night light. The city becomes seductively alien in these camera sweeps, like some asian urban ghetto in 'Blade Runner'.

Tony Leung provides back up as another low level punk who is more than meets the eye. The late Shing Fui-On is great as Lik's superior. They're too good for the film, which itself is entertaining but really just another footnote in Hong Kong crime cinema.

The plot is jumbled, too much going on, the ending lacks a little punch even though in kicks in 'Red Shield' style. Not all bad though, along with something like 'Big Bullet'it offers enough in 90s type thrills and familiar faces to keep you engaged. The beginning and middle section are the best parts, the conventional action ending should've been dumped.

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