A Gambler's Story (2001)
Reviewed by: Chinoco on 2006-03-05
Summary: It's not a good bet.
Ok, they went too far with this one! This movie was not what I was expecting. I didn't exactly expect the glamour of "God of Gamblers", but I didn't think it would turn out as dark and depressing as it did.

I wanted to see the dark side of gambling, triads, action and drama. Instead I got a film with incurable diseases, male rape, and a bleak ending. Yes, all that DOES happen in this film. I was actually surprised at how relatively little gambling is in this movie.

Fans of Sam Lee expecting a good laugh- forget it! He plays a kid with so many diseases; he could be on the cover of a medical journal. Every time something good happens to one of the characters in the movie, just wait a minute or two and see what happens next.

This film also has one of the cheesiest scenes ever in HK cinema. Francis Ng, Suki Kwan, and the wheel-chair bound Sam Lee all play like NBA legends in a park in darkness on a basket with no net. Not one of them even hits a rim, never mind misses a shot!

The only thing redeeming about this film was the performance of Francis Ng. He did an outstanding job, and I was really hoping good things would happen to his character. It just wasn't enough to save this film for me however.
Reviewer Score: 4