A Moment of Romance (1990) is a film that drifts between genres, starting as a gritty gangster film, dipping its toes in light comedy, then diving headfirst into romance and eventually tragedy and bloodshed. It does all of these things equally well, with panache and stylish directing, deftly incorporating each style's tropes and mixing them into a seamless narrative.
The film starts with a bang in the middle of a hectic jewelry store robbery, with bullets flying and police intervention. Wah Dee (Andy Lau) is supposed to be the getaway driver in the heist, but as things start to go wrong, he takes a hostage, Jo-Jo (Jacklyn Wu), an innocent-looking young woman. Wah Dee manages to escape with Jo-Jo in his car, and after making it to a safe place, the rest of his gang tells him he has to kill her. After sharing glances with each other, Wah Dee has a moment of pity for her and lets her go. This catalyzes a whirlwind Romeo and Juliet-style romance that clashes class and morality to create a tornado of emotion.
Jo-Jo is the daughter of a wealthy family who has her entire future planned for her. She has no say in anything of importance. When she is with Wah Dee, she controls her fate and feels free instead of a prisoner of her status. In a lesser film, Wah Dee would have been portrayed as a thug with a secret heart of gold, but they go a more nuanced route with his character development. He keeps many of his negative qualities, which eventually cause problems for him and Jo-Jo, but she grounds him to society more and makes him care more about how his actions affect others. Their moments together are short but intense, shot in a montage with a soaring pop ballad soundtrack.
The cinematography is organic and grimy, with neon-lined nightscapes and dirty alleyways. This tone is contrasted by the floaty ethereal depiction of the time that Wah Dee and Jo-Jo spend together; it's almost fairytale-like in its composition. Unfortunately, if this is a fairytale, it's a Grimms story, full of death and pain. The iconic scene where Wah Dee takes Jo-Jo on a final motorcycle ride, with her wedding dress streaming behind her, is a beautiful and bittersweet moment. It's a brief period where the world's turbulence ceases to exist for them, and it's just them and their love for each other. A moment of romance, indeed.
LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES
4K restoration of the film from the original camera negative
Original uncompressed mono PCM audio
Archival audio interview with Benny Chan who discusses his start in the industry, A Moment of Romance, and his collaborators on the film (2016, 21 mins)
In Love and Danger: HK Cinema Through A Moment of Romance - A new visual essay by critic and Asian cinema expert David Desser on the genre tropes in A Moment of Romance and their use in Hong Kong cinema (2023, 26 mins)
Audio commentary by Asian cinema expert Frank Djeng
Newly translated English subtitles by Dylan Cheung
Trailer
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow
Limited edition booklet featuring new writing on the iconic cast and crew by critic Sean Gilman; and a profile of Benny Chan by Tony Williams, co-editor of Hong Kong Neo Noir
Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings
--Michelle Kisner
