Supposed third in the “Gambling Saint” series is a surprising
entry. Despite the paws of Aman Cheung, Wong Jing and
funnyman Nick Cheung, this entry eschews all-out farce
and actually walks the tightrope into darkness, allowing
some rough stuff to permeate this otherwise standard
gambling flick.
Nick Cheung is Nobody, a gambling
wiz who falls in love with a blind model named Candy
(Shu Qi). Meanwhile, he and his partners (including
that versatile Wong Jing) go to work for the dastardly
Lung Fong, who’s a top gang boss in Shenzen. He hires
Nobody to swindle high-rollers at his Shenzen casino.
However, things go to hell when Candy’s dad (Hui Siu-Hung)
arrives at the casino with stolen money from Candy’s
account - which was supposed to pay for her eye surgery.
Nobody helps out Pop, but that
sets in motion a series of events that can only be described
as harrowing. Nobody goes down in a big way and he attempts
to struggle back, even invoking the classic line “I
want to get back what I lost.” Cue Better Tomorrow theme music.
There are random moments of
cheesiness that serve to undermine this movie, but by
and large it’s an entertaining commercial HK movie.
This is Nick Cheung’s best and most restrained performance,
and he manages to show some real acting chops. Still,
watching Nick Cheung get soulful can possibly create
giggles, and it’s impossible to take Wong Jing seriously,
even when he’s chasing the woman he loves. At least
Shu Qi is her usual dependable self. (Kozo 2000) |
