And yet more John Woo completism. Wedged uncomfortably between the superior Bullet in the Head (1990) and Hard Boiled (1992), or perhaps just because Woo felt playful and wanted a vacation in Paris and Cannes. In two sittings along its natural cleavage.
The setup is something like Once Upon a Time in America (1984): three street urchins, played as adults by Chow Yun-Fat (maximal clowning), Leslie Cheung (serious, miscast) and Cherie Chung (mostly the third leg of the inevitable love triangle/ménage, essentialised) are schooled in crime by "father" Kenneth Tsang. "Dad" Kong Chu, a policeman, somehow takes care of them too. The boys are master art thieves, she's a capable pickpocket. The heists are not particularly imaginative. Luxe living! You too could (aspire to) rob an art warehouse/freeport in a wheelchair. The signature gun scenes are uninspired: there's more danger in boredom than anything our heroes face. It's all a bit weird.
