Before going on to partner with Jackie Chan on films like Who Am I? (1998) and New Police Story (2004), Benny Chan made his feature-directing debut with A Moment of Romance (1990) starring Andy Lau and Jacklyn Wu. It would launch his career as well as that of star Andy Lau. Radiance Films has released a brand-new special edition Blu-ray that showcases the 4K restoration.
When a bank heist goes south, Wah (Andy Lau) makes a drastic decision to save himself and kidnaps Jo Jo (Jacklyn Wu). No longer in the good graces of his crew, he goes out on a limb and saves her from being killed by them. Soon the hostage and criminal fall in love, and they’ll have to fight to keep it (and themselves) alive when their world erupts in chaos and bloodshed.
Hong Kong films are widely known for their mixing of genres. A Moment of Romance is part romance, obviously, as well as a crime drama. It works on both levels, balancing a violent crime tale with a sweet and innocent love story. Andy Lau and Jacklyn Wu are beautifully matched, and their time together on screen is electric.
There may be a few disjointed moments throughout, but overall, it thrills while continuously tugging at your heartstrings. It’s very much a modern Romeo and Juliet, told through the lens of ’90s Hong Kong cinema. Chan would revisit some of the themes presented here throughout his career in different ways and from different perspectives.
A Moment of Romance serves as the birth of a brilliant filmmaker. Chan sadly passed away from nasopharyngeal cancer on August 23, 2020. His final film Raging Fire (2021), was released posthumously and would earn a Hong Kong Film Award for Best Director and Best Picture as well.
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While I have always been aware of A Moment of Romance, this would be my first time viewing it. Thirty-three years is a long time to put off viewing a film, but it did remind me why I stuck my head into the rabbit hole all those years ago.
Sadly, I was only supplied with a check disc to review, so I wasn’t able to dig into any of the packaging or read the essays from Sean Gilman or Tony Williams in the limited edition booklet. I did enjoy listening to the audio-only archival interview with Benny Chan, with I believe was from 2016. The disc also includes In Love and Danger: HK Cinema Through A Moment of Romance, which is a new visual essay by critic and Asian cinema expert David Desser on the genre tropes in A Moment of Romance and their use in Hong Kong cinema. There’s also a commentary track from Asian film expert Frank Djeng. While I wasn’t able to view the slip, there is one, as well as a reversible sleeve with newly commissioned and original artwork.
A Moment of Romance spawned two sequels, only one of which was directed by Chan. It’s another classic example of why that period of cinema in Hong Kong was so special.
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