As Tears Go By (1988)
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78% of critics liked it
(9 reviews) -
66% of users liked it
(5,177 ratings)
Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar-wai makes his feature film debut with this gritty romantic crime-drama inspired by Scorsese's Mean Streets. The film opens with young gangster Wah (Andy Lau) getting a visit for the day from his beautiful cousin Ah-Ngor (Maggie Cheung), who is coming into Kowloon from… More Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar-wai makes his feature film debut with this gritty romantic crime-drama inspired by Scorsese's Mean Streets. The film opens with young gangster Wah (Andy Lau) getting a visit for the day from his beautiful cousin Ah-Ngor (Maggie Cheung), who is coming into Kowloon from the remote outlying Lantau island to receive medical treatment for a lung condition. At first, the short-fused gangster and the quiet country girl have little in common, but gradually the two start to form a bond of sorts. Meanwhile, Wah's buddy Fly (Jacky Cheung), who has an absolutely volcanic temper, is always getting Wah into hot water. Even though Wah knows that Fly is bound to end up dead soon, he stands by his foolhardy friend. After some hesitation, Wah -- who has fallen for Ah-Ngor -- visits his cousin on Lantau, hoping to make their relationship more than family. Fly later infuriates a psychopathic mob boss, Tony (Alex Man Chi-leung who, along with his henchmen, beats and degrades Fly and Wah. This induces Fly make amends with Tony by undertaking the outrageously difficult task of rubbing out an informant who is in the custody of the cops, before the man has the opportunity to testify in a court hearing. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi
- Directed By
- Kar Wai Wong
- Genres
- Art House & International, Drama
- In Theaters
- Dec 31, 1989 Wide
Critic Reviews
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Wesley Morris, Boston Globe
This sounds like a fairly standard debut. But Wong smothers the story with tremendous style.
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V.A. Musetto, New York Post
As Tears Go By doesn't measure up to Wong's later classics, such as In the Mood for Love (2000) and Chungking Express (1994), but it shows a master in the making.
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Nathan Lee, New York Times
Unpersuasive as drama, Tears is the first and last Wong movie touched by any feel of the obligatory.
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David Fear, Time Out New York
Long before Wong Kar-wai perfected his dreamy, ennui-infused aesthetic (or got hopelessly stuck in blueberry goo), he made a name for himself with this warhorse tale of small-time hoods on the road to ruin.
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J. Hoberman, Village Voice
Ostensibly a conventional tale of triad loyalty, As Tears Go By announced the presence of a genuine Hong Kong new wave -- as well as an ambitious cineaste.
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Cast
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Andy Lau
as Ah Wah
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Jacky Cheung
as Fly
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Maggie Cheung
as Ah Ngor
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Ronald Wong Ban
as Ah Site
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Man Chi Leung
as Tony