A True Mob Story

A TRUE MOB STORY (Long Zai Jiang Hu)

Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Sound format: Dolby Digital

Wong Jing's commitment to schlock cinema may not be widely admired in HK film-making circles, but he's still capable of turning out worthwhile potboilers like A TRUE MOB STORY, which he wrote, produced and directed. Andy Lau plays a low-ranking Triad mobster who loses his nerve during a gang fight while saving the boss's son (Mark Cheng) from a rival gangster (Ben Ng), an incident which results in the death of Lau's beloved wife. Unable to cope with the subsequent demands of his Triad lifestyle, Lau becomes an unwitting pawn in the hands of his ungrateful superiors, and when Ng comes looking for revenge, they abandon Lau to his fate. Further treachery is revealed when Lau - who is virtually penniless and beholden to the gang for his pitiful income - discovers that the video CD factory which Cheng had licensed in Lau's name is actually a massive cocaine distribution center, thus launching a tragic sequence of events which finally restores Lau's convictions and enables him to plot an elaborate revenge against all those who have betrayed him...

The casting of poster-icon Lau is central to Wong's blatant deconstruction of the 'honorable Triad' myth popularised in the mid-1980s by directors like John Woo; Lau's innate decency and his natural aversion to violence is frequently contrasted with the vulgar excesses of his fellow gangsters, most of whom are portrayed as reptilian thugs with no respect for anything but wealth, power and brutality. Lau's ultimate redemption is provided by Gigi Leung, his charming co-star from the unexpected smash-hit FULL THROTTLE (1995), playing a barrister whose ambivalent feelings for Lau threatens her somewhat strained relationship with fiancé Alex Fong (effectively understated in a difficult role), who also happens to be the head of the local Organized Crime and Triad Bureau! The breathless narrative is prone to sudden outbursts of blistering violence, but the fight scenes are more chaotic than extravagant (the "Young and Dangerous" series has a lot to answer for!), and the film is obliged for the most part to coast along on the strength of the performances, which are uniformly excellent. Given that the script is supposed to be based on 'true' events (hence the title), Wong goes well over the top on occasion (check out the judge's reaction to Lau's manufactured display of 'nobility' during the first courtroom sequence!), and his film has none of the myth-making grandeur of other recent Lau vehicles like THE ADVENTURERS (1995) or SHANGHAI GRAND (1996), but it passes the time amiably enough whilst upholding all the familiar traditions of this particular sub-genre.

(Cantonese dialogue)

Having played the role a thousand times, Andy Lau returns as a low-level gangster in Wong Jing's late 90's triad drama, A True Mob Story. After saving his boss in an attack by a rival gangster called Crazy Ball, Lau gets promoted to the bosses right-hand-man, but loses his wife in a traffic accident during the incident. Five years later, with his son now at an age where he understands what his dad is, life isn't getting any easier for Andy as a triad and as a father... The unstoppable force that is Wong Jing delivers a film that is more about drama than triad action. While it has a small number of violent scuffles and a great end fight, A True Mob Story goes behind the scenes of Lau's character, focusing on his trials as a parent and family man. The gangster with a heart is liked by many, but badly treated and abused by his boss for being such a walk-over.

Involved in a court case based on an attack by him, Lau is represented by defence attorney, Sandy, played by the wooden Gigi Leung. Obviously, she starts to fall for the gangster with a heart, noticed by her overly jealous boyfriend Alex Fong (Iron Angels) who tries to intervene when he can, abusing his power as a cop to do so. This miscasting and sub-plot of Leung, for me, is one of the weaker strains of the film!

There's a couple of nods to moments of (the far superior) A Moment Of Romance, of which Wong Jing was a producer and Lau the star of course, but A True Mob Story is more like a 90's Hollywood movie, and a very mature production in terms of what Jing usually dishes out. That's not a bad thing, but it just feels less gritty than the usual Hong Kong fare.

Mark Cheng plays Prince, Lau's boss with a bad attitude and a violent reputation. He has a bad habit of abusing the man who saved him and slapping his kid about, but Lau tries to stay faithful as much as he can for the safety of his family. The great Michael Chan Wai Man plays Prince's father in an extended cameo. While it has its flaws and can be overly talky, A True Mob Story wins by a host of great performances, with Andy Lau in top form as a good man forced into a bad life, and a surprise ending that sums it all up...

Overall: Not one for the action fans, A True Mob Story still proves to be a well-made, and decent film with a memorable role from Andy Lau!

Jing Wang's "Long Zai Jiang Hu" is an interesting Chinese gangster film with some melodramatic touches.There's plenty of violence and lots of fight scenes to please action cinema buffs.The acting is really good-especially Andy Lau as a Chinese Triad member is really memorable in his role,and the beautiful ladies(Angie Cheung,Suki Kwan)are another highlight of this picture.The ending is really surprising.Check it out.

A True Mob Story (1998) is about a bottom rung triad (Andy Lau) who discovers that rising in the ranks of his Triad often comes with a heavy price. Is their really honor amongst thieves? Just how crazy is a gangster named Crazy Ball any way? Does it really pay to be a criminal? Will upholding the law surpass true love? Find out when you watch A True Mob Story? Also starring Gigi Leung, Suki Kwan, Ben Ng with a surprise appearance from Jing Wong's father Tin Lam Wong.

Jing Wong's cash in on the triad movie craze in Hong Kong was a real good entry. He's a very entertaining filmmaker who can make any kind of genre film, but his comedies are by far his best work.

Recommended

I was very surprised by this movie because it has been a long time since Andy Lau has done a triad movie. These movies were very popular during the beginning of his career, but more recently he has fallen into doing low class Chinese comedies, so I was refreshed to see him return to his roots. I was also surprised to see that Gigi Leung did a respectful performance. I was also glad to see that she didn't sing the theme song, which was sung by Andy Lau. The first time I saw the movie I was very touched by the father son relationship that was portrayed. Overall, I feel this movie was quite good and deserves to be watched at least once.