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Review
by Kozo: |
In his first film since 1994, director Stanley Kwan
explores human sexuality among a trio of Chinese males.
Jie (Ko Yue-Lun) is a Taiwanese immigrant to HK who
works at a pool. He finds himself strangely attracted
to sullen newlywed Wai (Sunny Chan Kam-Hung), who’s
experiencing a few marital difficulties with his new
bride Moon (Chingmy Yau). In a thinly-veiled attempt
to get closer to Wai, Jie ends up entering into a passionate
affair with Moon.
However, Moon is not long for
this world. She dies, leaving Wai shattered and alone.
Wai manages to find friendship with a openly gay real-estate
agent (Eric Tsang), who harbors an attraction for Wai
as well. Jie returns to the picture, not knowing where
Moon is, but after discovering that she’s dead, he returns
to Taiwan. There he meets a divorced woman named Rosa
(also Chingmy Yau) who helps him reconcile his unrequited
attraction to Wai.
Kwan explores the depths of
male love and longing, and leaves much room for interpretation.
Apparently, Chingmy Yau represents woman, and she does
a fine job with her two roles. It’s amazing to think
that this is the same woman who was a Wong Jing regular
for a majority of the nineties. Sunny Chan is also quite
effective in his subdued role, and Eric Tsang turns
in another solid performance. When you compare Hold
You Tight to last year’s A Queer Story, it's obviously a superior exploration
of emotional attachment - be it homosexual or otherwise.
(Kozo 1998) |
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