Film review: Good Take Too – dreams and regrets in Hong Kong anthology sequel
Darker than its predecessor, this second compilation offers milder dramas tenuously connected by such themes as dreams, regrets and missed opportunities
3/5 stars
Good Take! is an Eric Tsang Chi-wai-produced omnibus feature comprising five Macau-set shorts by emerging Hong Kong filmmakers – and you might have never heard of the title, as it barely made a ripple in the box office during its April release. Even though this second part, which contains four more self-contained stories from the series, can expect a similarly lukewarm reception from Hong Kong film-goers, that shouldn’t be viewed as an indictment of the talents involved.
While Good Take! has a darker tone, this second compilation offers milder dramas tenuously connected by such themes as dreams, regrets and missed opportunities. In the quietly melancholic The Lighthouse of My Life, directed by Chong Cho-kio, a young woman (Charmaine Fong) drained of romantic longings and career ambitions remembers an episode with her grandma (Cheng Pei-pei) from 20 years ago, finding courage and optimism in the process.
A sense of solitude permeates the next two stories. In Clement Cheng Sze-kit’s The Waiting, an ex-con (Edison Chen Koon-hei) struggles to locate his estranged girlfriend (Venus Wong Man-yik), instead befriending an elderly woman (Maria Cordero) who has lost her son. Another belated meeting takes place in Heiward Mak Hei-yan’s Qianhai-set Dance Me to the End of Youth, about two middle-aged neighbours (Eric Tsang and Tien Niu) who very gently fall in love.
With Eric Tong Ka-wai’s Arrested for Shooting, this second omnibus – just like the first – wraps up with a homage to Hong Kong’s irreverent movie industry. An aspiring filmmaker (Tsui Tin-yau) enlists a trio of former bank robbers for his passion project, a docudrama evoking classic crime thrillers, in a segment that serves as a playful reminder that it’s never too late to chase one’s dreams. Every director on this project, likewise, should live to fight another day in the business.
Good Take Too is now screening
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