When it comes to action movies, few cultures can look back to such a rich history as Hong Kong, with many actors and directors within the genre even reaching international fame. However, besides the elements once expects from action and crime drama, many features also delve deep into the psychology of the anti-hero, his search for redemption and the longing to perhaps one day live a normal life. This is essentially what brings HK action and crime much closer to an arthouse mentality, often inviting comparisons to, for example, the cinema of Jean-Pierre Melville. Chow Kam Wing‘s new feature “For Alice” highlights this notion within HK genre cinema, presenting a main character who has already experienced life in the underworld and had to pay the price for it.
For Alice is screening at New York Asian Film Festival
After twenty years in prison, Shuang (Tai Bo) longs for an ordinary life. He gets a job at a construction site and rents a tiny apartment at Mirador Mansions, and except the occasional beer with one of his remaining friends from his past, there is little excitement in his new life in freedom. However, one day he runs into Alice (Kuku So), who has left home after a heated argument with her mother’s new boyfriend. Taking pity on the young girl, he offers her some money and ultimately a place to stay.
In the next couple of days, Alice and Shuang develop a routine together, with the two of them doing grocery shopping and cooking in the small apartment they now share. But their happiness seems fleeting, as his friend confronts Shuang with another job which will give him the money needed to get back to how things were before he went to prison. At the same time, Alice needs to step up to her mother to tell her the truth about why she cannot live with her boyfriend, which results in a revelation neither she or Shuang saw coming.
Check the interview with the director, cast and script-writer
If there is one aspect “For Alice” has going for it, it is certainly the look. Director Chow Kam Wing creates a world which is, just like the male protagonist, clinging on to nostalgia and former glory, while at the same time shows signs of decay and deterioration. The neon lights and the dimly lit streets, as well as the setting of the giant apartment block the two main characters live in, further highlight this idea, while also establishing the aforementioned tone and aesthetics that have made HK action/crime into an international genre stable. The many references to Buddhism and faith in general emphasize Shuang’s path to find some sort of redemption, and his remorse for what his actions have done to himself and his family. The formal structure and the themes are most certainly there, but the fact the production relies heavily on known tropes of the genre makes it predictable.
Another aspect which needs to be mentioned are the performances. Seasoned actor Tai Bo brings his experience within the genre to the table, with Shuang being a man full of guilt and a shadow of his former self, with his leather jacket as the only insignia of his life before prison. Newcomer Kuku So brings a much needed excitement to the whole narrative and even some comedy, making the scenes between her and Bo really stand out. Even though much of their dialogue is defined by cliched phrases and actions, the two of them do their best to make the relationship these two characters have feel special.
“For Alice” is a crime drama about remorse, guilt and, ultimately, seeking redemption. Chow Kam Wing proves to be an apt student of HK cinema as he nails especially the aesthetics of this particular brand of action/crime drama, although the script and character development relies too heavily on cliches and worn out tropes.
