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Just One Look

Poster for the movie "Just One Look"

Just One Look (2002)

91 min - Drama, Foreign, Romance - 19 September 2002
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Set in 70s Hong Kong, Just One Look actually tells of Fan (Shawn Yu), whose policeman father commits suicide in a cinema toilet, but Fan believes he was murdered by a gangster nicknamed 'Crazy' (Anthony Wong). Ten years later Fan contemplates avenging his father's death. Meanwhile, he and best friend Ming (Wong Yu Nam), who are movie fans and sell their family wares outside the local cinema, decide to enlist for kung fu lessons after spotting the master's beautiful daughter (Charlene Choi). But Fan falls for a mysterious girl who lives in the countryside (Gillian Chung).

Director:  Riley Yip
Writers:  Riley Yip

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Storyline

Set in 70s Hong Kong, Just One Look actually tells of Fan (Shawn Yu), whose policeman father commits suicide in a cinema toilet, but Fan believes he was murdered by a gangster nicknamed 'Crazy' (Anthony Wong). Ten years later Fan contemplates avenging his father's death. Meanwhile, he and best friend Ming (Wong Yu Nam), who are movie fans and sell their family wares outside the local cinema, decide to enlist for kung fu lessons after spotting the master's beautiful daughter (Charlene Choi). But Fan falls for a mysterious girl who lives in the countryside (Gillian Chung).


Collections: Riley Yip

Genres: Drama, Foreign, Romance

Details

Official Website: 
Country:   Hong Kong
Language:  Cantonese
Release Date:  19 September 2002

Box Office

Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Runtime:  1 h 31 min

Although Hong Kong cinema had a difficult year in 2002, films like Riley Ip’s Just One Look continue to reaffirm the industry’s energy and talent.

Though marketed squarely towards teens with four young stars in the lead roles, the film also charmed older audiences touched by coming-of-age themes, nostalgia, and a tribute to the cinemagoing experience. Set on Cheung Chau Island, Just One Look follows a pair of teenage boys, Fan (Shawn Yu) and Fishball Ming (Wong You-nam), growing up in the 1970s. One has been dreaming up revenge since his father died in the ‘60s and both set their hearts on a pair of local girls (Charlene Choi and Gillian Chung). Around this framework the filmmakers revive an entire community experience for the screen, from picturing laid-back street life to charting trends. The village setting is presented impeccably, crafting a convincing portrait of a past lifestyle far removed from the crowded city. Central to the Cheung Chau setting is a cinema – a community hub where fans catch faves on the big screen, where kids copy plot synopses into their love letters and where passersby grab snacks at the front steps. The cinema angle also sees the movie’s gangsters and teens catch the martial arts craze through kung-fu flicks; excerpts of ‘60s and ‘70s movies spliced in; and the creation of fake movie scenes based on classics and featuring Just One Look’s young stars. Gorgeous hand-painted billboard art not only marks changing cinema schedules but also reflects shifting themes from one scene to the next. Shawn Yu and Wong Yau-nam prove themselves able performers in the two lead roles and both are backed well by popular singers Charlene Choi and Gillian Chung (known together as pop group Twins) playing love interests. Anthony Wong performs an enjoyable supporting role as the small-time gang boss Fan accuses of killing his father.

Tim Youngs

Thanks to Far East Film Festival