# A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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Doctor's Heart (1990) Directed by: David Lam

David Lam (Women's Prison) directs with his intentions fully on his sleeve but since they are good-hearted intentions, one can't feel very offended by Doctor's Heart. A story of what it takes to be a good doctor, the balance is between the obviously righteous (Mark Cheng's character) and the thoroughly evil (Simon Yam). So it's structurally very evident, convenient but at times overwrought in a way that speaks more to the shallowness of the production in general. But a social awareness about the state of medical welfare is not a bad thing to possess. Lam's problem is a lack of capability to vent in affecting ways which in itself places Doctor's Heart far off the acclaimed radar. Also starring Bill Tung, Michelle Reis, Lowell Lo, Amy Yip, Clifton Ko, Ni Kuang and Liu Fan.

Doctor Vampire (1990) Directed by: Jamie Luk

Bowie Lam plays Tsung, a doctor that gets seduced and bitten by a vampire (the lovely Ellen Chan) during a trip to England. As he goes through his transformation, she turns up in Hong Kong under orders by the mighty count to bring back Tsung and his delicious blood but her desire is to break free from the grip the count holds on her. They both fight back, with the help of dopey male and female sidekicks...

The movie making climate of the 80s allowed fast paced insanity like Doctor Vampire to be made, which is a very good thing despite the low-brow places Jamie Luk takes the film to (copious gays and AIDS jokes for instance). However there is genuine fun in here (in particular a scene where the friends gather up blood for Tsung) and the extended climax is a fine example of the high gear Hong Kong filmmakers can put a movie in. Also with famed writer Ngai Fong, Sheila Chan, Crystal Kwok, Shing Fui On (another scene stealing performance), James Wong, David Wu and Helena Law.

Don't Cry, Nanking (1995) Directed by: Wu Zi-Nu

KENNETH'S REVIEW: A little trip to Wikipedia to read up on the Nanking Massacre, both for personal information purposes and in prep for this John Woo produced production helps. Partially due to the fact that various text cards in the movie lack English translation and certain other aspects documented about the atrocities committed by the Japanese forces can be picked up upon. As a portrait of the time, it's always important to highlight, be it in grim manner by Mou Tun-Fei in Black Sun: The Nanking Massacre or in this well-made production that doesn't push the envelope but still manages to horrify enough. Problem is, so does a read on Wikipedia but the subject matter is always valid to bring up. Focusing of course on the occupation by the Japanese army of Nanjing in December 1937, amidst all this we have fictional elements that concerns a Chinese/Japanese family (husband is played by Chin Han), a teacher (Rene Liu) and a solider trying to stay alive, even within the Nanking Safety Zone. Obvious drama intentions such as Chin Han's Cheng-Xian having a Japanese family, the advantage of that, the grave disadvantage of that and if you could carry a glimmer of hope during this time, are in place but there's nothing truly gripping about director Wu Zi-Nu's (Sino Dutch War 1661) portrait. What is gripping is the reality of it, taking place amidst them and around them in large set pieces covered in blood and destruction. Wu pushes fairly mildly yet still hard enough for an audience to react but overall Don't Cry, Nanking isn't revolutionary for this real life matter. But it is allowed to occupy a place in history and cinema history. Even Mou Tun-Fei's film is.

Don't Fool Me (1991) Directed by: Herman Yau

Triad negotiator Hero Wah (Andy Lau) and successful insurance salesman Cheung Ho Kit (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai) switches places as both are old friends and tired of their respective, old lifestyles. Plus Kit has a brain tumour so off into their new worlds they go. Hero Wah brings poor sense of dress code, lack respect for authorities and manages to romance stern lady superior Miss Mui (Teresa Mo) while Kit romances the daughter (Fennie Yuen) of a triad boss (Michael Chan). A sense of stars letting themselves go to be very silly and high energy delivery supervised by Herman Yau is an easy way to summarize the work here. It absolutely doesn't mean anything but it's also good, commercial entertainment kept afloat by said star power. Also with Shing Fui-On.

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Don't Give A Damn (1995) Directed by: Sammo Hung

Political correctness went out the window for Sammo Hung's reuniting with old Peking opera brother and 80s co-star Yuen Biao. It's a bit unfair to single out Sammo for being the sole filmmaker having made fun of racial stereotypes but on the other hand, he doesn't seem to know better based on the portrayal of homosexuals in Pantyhose Hero and when dressing up his co-stars as black people here in Don't Give A Damn. Also a pretty limp cop action comedy, there's chops here that proves Sammo could've churned out a fairly fine product but drowning matters in comedic banter that doesn't register and only glimpses of fighting stunts and prowess (best scene being Sammo and Yuen Biao beating the crap out of each other in a locker room) isn't enough to raise a final grade. It's standard stuff about bad guys wanting their heroin back and police station romance, the latter parts sees Sammo actually rising above this lazy inclusion as his signs of sincerity almost takes this part of the film to an acceptable level. Almost. Because when hitting the top of racial stereotyping towards the end, it's an embarrassing show that can't be forgiven despite a glimpse or two during the action finale being positive. A parade of recognizable faces appear though, including Takeshi Kaneshiro, Kathy Chow, Eileen Tung, Ngai Sing, Kelvin Wong, Teddy Yip, Nat Chan, Lau Kar-Wing, Leung Kar-Yan, Melvin Wong, Wu Ma, Cheung Kwok-Keung, Chin Siu-Ho, Blacky Ko, Richard Ng, Peter Chan Lung, Billy Lau, Miu Kiu-Wai, Eddie Maher and Bobby Samuels.

Don't Kill Me, Brother (1981) Directed by: Stanley Siu

Behind the English title that could as well have been a screwball comedy lies a quite dark tale with most flaws expected of an unseasoned cinema trying out being cinema. Alan Tang acts very big and exaggerated as Fan Kwok Ho, a refugee seeking help from his wealthy brother (Patrick Lung). When rejected, Fan wows to make his brother pay and as he rises up the ranks of the triads, he will have the means to do so...

Stanley Siu gives us arresting images of refugees taking the shore in Hong Kong and certainly sets up a classic template that will equal blood, destruction and grave nihilism. It does but those aspects being put focus on makes the characters quite one-dimensional in the process. Fan goes from being the dedicated husband with heart to a genuine lunatic with a touch of honor and an even smaller piece of heart the more bitter he gets. His transformation from poor immigrant to wealthy gangster is taken care of in lazy montage-form and along the way Stanley Siu never convinces that any character (and especially supporting) could make an impact. When focusing only on bloodlust, his darkness is eerie and superbly effective as the deaths get more and more disturbing. Among other things we see Fan ordering a fellow of his to perform amateur surgery while other people meet horrific deaths by trucks and bombs. It's memorable but not as the pessimistic character-piece Don't Kill Me, Brother wants to be.

Don't Shoot Me, I'm Just a Violinist! (1994) Directed by: Herman Yau & Ken Siu

Mosart (Lau Ching-Wan) enters Hong Kong from the mainland in order to use his skills in playing the violin. Cash needs to be gathered up quickly, he's kidnapped by two robbers (one of them being Billy Lau as the character of Stupid), ends up getting their loot and starts co-operating with the police led by Madam Mo (Teresa Mo). A tough cookie not afraid to carry a piece with a little recoil...

One of many signs to spell trouble for a Hong Kong comedy, directors Yau and Siu put sound effects to their comedy in a desperate attempt to squeeze laughs out of the low and low-budget material. Their intent is also to create deadpan absurdities, a skill neither director is adept at. Very cartoony inclusions like Teresa Mo's face turning all read when drinking beer and nurses playing mahjong in an elevator registers zero therefore and when dealing in opposite attracts kind of bond between Mosart and Mo, the film takes its biggest nosedive into boredom. Seriously, who laughs at the country bumpkin in this case not being able to use a microwave? I thought I knew you Herman Yau. Co-starring Gabriel Wong and Wu Fung.

Dot 2 Dot (2014, Amos Wong)

Possibly just a love letter to Hong Kong and its everyday locations, Amos Wong makes something that seems to be building towards being classically romantic but ultimately the movie operates on its own terms. That not much of consequence seems to happen is the point. Although an external eye might not be able to appreciate the nuances of why Moses Chan leaves dot patterns in and around train stations and Mainland Chinese girl Xia Yue's (Meng Ting-Yi) fascination with solving them, there is an appealing nostalgic atmosphere woven into this main plot element and the interactions that come with it. Sometimes about the heartbreaking historical events that shaped the city, Amos Wong also seems to celebrate artistry and following your personal path of discovery no matter how odd and quirky it might be. If you're drawn to art and to small Hong Kong cinema being elusive but not abstract, Dot 2 Dot is an expression and captures a city it loves. Somehow that's enough but more dots could be waiting to be filled in depending on what perspective you view this from.

Double Fattiness (1988) Directed by: David Chiang

The big eeeeevil company of this movie wants to develop an apartment complex and sends Paul Chun's Chin to buy off the sole holdout: A pizza shop run by the Wu-family (Bill Tung, Lydia Shum and Eric Tsang). They refuse but tragedy strikes as the wife dies, leaving a husband and son aimless. Finding a way out of the afterlife and into immediate reincarnation, the wife now takes the form of Maggie Cheung's Diana. And THEN... the husband meets exact doppelganger of Lydia Shum's Hsiao Feng. What starts out as a simple working class comedy switches to unexpected darkness and creative (and fun) afterlife-depiction. David Chiang is keeping the frame busy, channels chemistry between his performers (Tung and Shum had already done a couple of movies together, including It's A Mad, Mad, Mad World in 1987) and the free for all energy is pleasant to follow and be around. A bit more random and skit-like for the weaker second half, nevertheless Double Fattiness is enjoyable for its mixture of mostly light and some dark (verging on the macabre at one point). Also with Teddy Yip, Dennis Chan, James Wong and director Chiang himself stops by during one of the afterlife-scenes.

Doubles Cause Troubles (1989) Directed by: Wong Jing

A very forgettable but not annoying Wong Jing experience gets the mainstream tastes "auteur" kind of thumbs up. Maggie Cheung and Carol Cheng are sisters, enemies and their inherited luxury apartment comes with the catch that they have to live together in it for a year before selling it. Then bad guys come into their lives and somewhere around them, the clues to something valuable is hidden. The hunt is on, while low-rent triads (Nat Chan and Charlie Cho) accompany the female duo. At best scoring a few chuckles, Wong Jing nonetheless gets the job done with a quick, breezy and harmless comedy where he himself as a rather strange creature (that is more weird than just the usual flirty guy at a club as you'll see) gets the biggest laughs and is an amusing, sporadic presence throughout. The leading ladies banter sufficiently well and to top it off, darker and gorier violence take center stage at the end so Doubles Cause Troubles is a multi mood-experience that works fairly well and those not caring for the light, will pay attention during the dark. Also with potential villain played by Wilson Lam, Poon Jan-Wai, Liu Fan and Gwaan Ming-Yuk.

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