July 13th (1996)
Reviewed by: shelly on 1999-12-09
An unusually interesting ghost story/comedy, from the team who made THE DAY THAT DOESN'T EXIST, THOU SHALT NOT SWEAR, and THE THIRD FULL MOON. The cops in the middle, Michelle Reis and David Wu, provide the requisite banter and romantic tension (and glamourous good looks). Dayo Wong is the madman who might know the truth (in a particularly ill-concieved and un-humourous recreation of Stephen Chow's over-the-top lunatic from OUT OF THE DARK -- no one but Chow can do a Stephen Chow character. Dayo Wong's current popularity completely escapes me). And a very dignified and creepy "Aunt Lung" plays the ghost. There's much to read between the lines, if you care to look. One layer involves the temptations of suicide in the face of an inescapable and premature end to life (how about 1997?): we are offered the task of reclaiming memory and history as a path to safety (or at least sanity). Or you can just enjoy the off-kilter humour, snazzy cinematography and subtly scary bits. A Hong Kong film whose script outshines its stars: how weird.