Time 4 Hope
Reviewed by YTSL
This low key drama is an effort that I wanted
to really like, and not only because it was the first 2002 HKSAR cinematic
release that I viewed (and consequently one that I rather superstitiously
feel could provide me with some portends of what the rest of this new film
year will be like). Rather, it’s that the Derek Chiu directed offering
also happens to be an autobiographical work -- that is in large part a
loving tribute to the love of his life -- which was penned by the self-described
“story-teller” who wrote the scripts of some of my favorite Hong Kong movies
(E.g., “A Chinese Ghost Story”, “Once Upon a Time in China” and “Drunken
Master II”) and has had the kind of life that would seem to be worth knowing
(more) about.
Yuen Kai Chi (who gets portrayed here by Nick
Cheung) is initially shown in TIME 4 HOPE as the kind of young man who
looks like he has a great future in front of him and everything to live
for. Especially after he wins the HKFA Best Scriptwriter prize, he
is professionally in much demand as well as brimming with ideas for new
movie scripts. Outside of work, he’s got a group of good buddies
with whom he can have fun times (who include an individual that’s clearly
meant to be the late and famously good-hearted Barry Wong), a physically
attractive girlfriend (who comes in the form of Stephanie Che in this film)
and a mother (played by Helena Law Lan) who clearly feels justifiably proud
of her son’s achievements. Additionally, the individual who seems
to have a “work hard, play hard” ethic finds himself more than able to
afford the cool looking cars that he takes much pleasure driving fast.
Before the movie’s 15 minute mark though, the
28 year old -- in 1987 -- Chi is shown having the accident that caused
him to have a blood clot in his brain, end up in a coma for two long months
(during which it was genuinely feared that he would never ever regain consciousness)
and permanently lose the ability to use one of his legs. And, as
depicted in this Gordon Chan production, it wasn’t as though the quality
of his life speedily and significantly improved in the period that followed
his having to learn how to cope with his physical disability and finally
getting discharged from the hospital. Still, as the proverbial “they”
say, every cloud has a silver lining; and in the case of he who the HKMDB
actually lists as having three scriptwriting credits each in 1988, 1989
and again in 1991 (and whose writing problems, at least, may thus have
been exaggerated for dramatic purposes in this nonetheless generally restrained
effort), it was his falling in love with a nurse who voluntarily continued
to care for him after he was no longer a patient in the ward in which she
worked. Consequently, Chi came to think of the post-accident period
of his life as a TIME 4 (sic.) HOPE rather than despair.
It is very much to Yuen Kai Chi’s credit that
he was able to characterize the woman who gets sweetly portrayed by Athena
Chu in such a way that she does seem to be a believably nice human being
(as opposed to an impossibly saintly figure). Now, if only he --
and those others who had a say in these matters -- had been able to convincingly
show in TIME 4 HOPE how and why she (who gets called Cindy by some people
and Ching by others) not only got attracted to, plus made the decision
to plunge into a serious relationship with, him but also was prepared to
make the substantial sacrifices that she did to do so; this especially
in light of his coming across in the film as someone who is quite difficult
to relate to and live with! Additionally, and I must admit that part
of me feels like a churl for thinking this but...I really did find myself
wishing -- when viewing this too modest offering -- that the obviously
not untalented scriptwriter could have related his (love) story in a way
that was more compelling, even if not actually exciting!!
TIME 4 HOPE suffers too from having the kind of
piano music that irritates -- rather than inspires, soothes or blends well
into the background -- and Chi and Cindy/Ching’s favorite song getting
played five times inside of the film’s first half hour (And it sure doesn’t
help that the particular version of “You Are My Sunshine” that’s sung by
Bryan Ferry is that which may be the most slow tempo-ed of any that I’ve
ever heard!). On the other hand, other technical aspects of this
movie -- notably the cinematography, which comes courtesy of Mark Li Ping
Bing -- actually are quite fine. Consequently, and at the risk of
damning it with faint praise, Yuen Kai Chi’s first scripted work in seven
years -- and twenty-fourth in total, as of April 2002 -- is one that’s
truly not a major pain to view (even if it’s less memorable and moving
than it probably could or should have been).
My rating for the film: 5.5