Reviewed by: Beat TG Date: 09/07/2008 Summary: Impressive pre-Milkyway outing LOVING YOU marked the start of the team that later on would run and establish Milkyway Image as a powerful movie company; scriptwriter Yau Nai Hoi, co-director Law Wing Cheong and cinematographer Cheng Siu-Keung developing their individual styles plus Johnnie To's regulars (Lam Suet, Wong Wa-Wo, Yuen Bun, Ruby Wong and small-part actors Lam Kwok-Git, Lu Ching-Ting and Chiu Chi-Shing) starting to bound a director/actor relation which would remain the same ever since. Sean Lau... What can I say about this guy? He always gives his best effort in acting and here he does his usual excellent doings emotionally and intensively. Carman Lee is great here as well (hardly a surprise after her smashing performance in THE ODD ONE DIES) acting nearing her peak and looks very different from her flower vase roles and in the end looks effective as well as attractive whenever she appears on the screen. But if there's a problem with the movie then I have to say it's be the running time of the movie. 85 min doesn't do justice and at times it looks obviously rushed and filled with few plot holes which tend to under-develop the characters a bit leaving you wanting more. But things doesn't get too affected nonetheless and I guess Johnnie To intended to go straight to the point with his message so even with these small flaws things still work. Aside the involving story and character development, the movie also provide some good action scenes and stuntwork (courtesy of Yuen Bun) and gives something extra to keep the movie going and if you expect such ingredients, it's just all about sitting back and enjoying the ride. Reviewer Score: 8

Reviewed by: maledictus Date: 02/14/2001 Summary: Not the first Milkyway-movie, but great anyway! Well, this it is, the first movie directed by Johnny To with Lau Ching-Wan as main protagonist. Having become an almost fanatical fan of Milkyway and with this combination, i expected this to be an absolute masterpiece already pretaking all the genius that would make Milkyway so great. Well, i got dissapointed somehow, and not at all on the other side. To say it first, this is NOT the first Milkyway-movie. It features some nice cinematography, but not half of what LONGEST NITE or HERO NEVER DIES have, and somehow the later special touch just isn't there yet (though there's a scene where a reflection saves the life of Lau's character at the beginning that reminded me of THE MISSION). That said, it's a great movie nontheless. It shifts almost effortless between action and drama (with just the right feel to both parts), has a plot that never felt like it had been there before even though it probably was and just made a very touching as well as gripping experience altogether. Just don't expect it to be another HERO NEVER DIES and you'll love it.

Reviewed by: grimes Date: 04/08/2000 This movie takes the typical over-the-edge-cop-with-family-troubles-against-evil villain film formula and spins it around on its head, producing something imperfect but interesting. Lau Ching-Wan plays the familiar over-the-edge-cop-with-family-troubles. Carman Lee plays the long-suffering-wife-of-the-over-the-edge-cop. The beginning of the film also introduces the villain-who-kills-without-remorse-and-has-a-grudge-against-the-cop (Tou Chung-Wah). All extremely familiar. The unfamiliar part is that rather than spending most of its time focusing on the conflict between the cop and villain, the film focuses on the relationship between Lau Ching-Wan and Carman Lee. This is quite the turnaround from what I was expecting. Even though the material here veers towards melodrama at times, it generally remains strong. As they struggle to rebuild their relationship, we can see that it is not easy for either one of them to forgive. The movie jumps back to a big action finale at the ending, which is extremely well filmed (actually, the entire film is well filmed). For some reason, I was consistently reminded of the American TV show NYPD Blue during many of the scenes focusing on the police work. This isn't a bad thing, as that show is generally directed quite well. A subtle but effective aspect of the script is that events that may seem minor near the beginning of the film are brought back later on, often with important consequences. I liked the fact that everything seemed to be well though out, rather than just thrown in for no particular reason. There is one major flaw to this movie. What is the villain's motivation? So much time is spent on the relationship between Lau Ching-Wan and Carman Lee that there is no motivation for why the villain would spend all that energy trying to kill Lau Ching-Wan. This could easily have been resolved with a few extra scenes and it really feels like a big omission. It also has some seriously bad pop songs in it. The worst is a love song sung in English by someone with either a very poor grasp of English pronunciation, a speech impediment, or both. Was this intended as comic relief? Why do so many directors feel it necessary to throw in these stupid "music videos". It almost never works and is usually just frustrating to the viewer, who wants to see the story, not hear a bad pop song (exceptions: Chungking Express and Lost and Found). Lau Ching-Wan and Carman Lee are both in fine form, though I have yet to see Carman Lee give a better performance than she did in The Odd One Dies. I particularly liked their scenes together as they rebuild their relationship. While this film is not perfect, it is unusual, a negative image of the usual cop vs. villain movie. Different is good, and this film is interesting enough to be worth seeing.

Reviewed by: hkcinema Date: 12/21/1999 If you call this one a quiet action film, be sure to emphasise "quiet" and not "action". The first half is a clever mix of drama, romance and suspense, the second a slightly uncomfortable and frequently saccharine melodrama with moments of interest. On a technical level, the film is very good indeed: crisp photography and sure-footed direction convey care and craftsmanship. Lau Ching-Wan has never been better, and Carman Lee -yes, it's Carman, like the Volkswagen!- lends a power and conviction to her role not inherent in the script. Johnny To is certainly one of the most versatile and technically gifted directors in Hong Kong, but he - as much as anybody down there - should better watch the quality of his material. [Reviewed by Thomas Muething]

Reviewed by: jfierro Date: 12/21/1999 A nearly flawless film, probably the best of 1995. Not at all your standard man-seeks-redemption film. None of the characters are perfect, and each actor gives a finely nuanced performance, especially Lau Ching-Wan, whose change throughout the film is so subtle and yet obvious that it speaks wonders for his acting ability. This film works on many levels from straight out action to obscure symbolism which I am still trying to figure out. Leave it to a great director like Johnny To to make sure it all comes together by the climax.

Reviewed by: hktopten Date: 12/21/1999 Lau Ching Wan is back in his shadow of Chow Yun Fat routine here.He shines as an over-the-edge police officer who is obsessed with catching a drug dealer (Toh Chung Wah, Ng Sin Lin's "fiance" in real life) and constantly neglects his beautiful wife (Carmen Lee) at home, who just announces to him that she is pregnant with another man's child. In capturing the suspect, the officer is shot through the skull. Although his life is spared, his sense of smell and taste is shattered (hence the title). Lacking the two senses and almost losing his life and wife, he become more aware of his past actions and begins to change. Of course, the drug dealer breaks out of holding and goes after the officer. Sure, there is nothing new about the plotline, but the character development throughout the film and the tasteless twist bring new flavor to an old and overdone recipe. Definitely worth a look.

Reviewed by: hkcinema Date: 12/08/1999 An outstanding movie by any account, but what surprised me most was how completely it hooked me emotionally. Lau Ching-Wan and Carmen Lee Yeuk-Tung convey emotions succesfully without much melodrama. The very serious problems in their relationship stem from their failure to communicate, and it seemed to me that this was the central theme of the movie: Failure of Communication. Be it that coffeeboy can't hear the radio-transmission, the officer who has a throat operation can can't speak anymore, calls and pages that are never returned, or even picking up the wrong baby. One very touching scene involves the main character finally confessing his feelings to his wife through a closed door, but it turns out that his wife is actually in a different room. If failure of communication does not sound like a very interesting or novel concept, rest assured that the film has its share of high-octane action, during which I found myself fearing for the fate of the characters. And that alone is much more than most movies could ever hope to achieve. (9/10) [Reviewed by Dan Liatowitsch]

Reviewed by: hkcinema Date: 12/08/1999 Very satisfying "action/drama" slightly inspired by the thematic of "REGARDING HENRY". To's direction is very good although there is one scene that is very chaotic. The performance and most of the technical credits are top notch. Worth seeing. [Reviewed by Martin Sauvageau]