The Diary of a Big Man (1988)
Reviewed by: ralphbrown on 2000-01-21
A nice comedy with Chow Yun-Fat relying on his charm. Similar to Blake Edwards' "Micki & Maude" from 1984, the tale of a man who marries two women succeeds because Chow is much more sympathetic than Dudley Moore. The plot is absurd, but it has fine moments. A standout scene is a music video (the song written by Chow Yun-Fat himself, I think) that is priceless, though it simply interrupts the movie. There is an in-joke about Chow's own fame plus it's great to see Waise Lee in a comic role. Lee has been the villain in so many films, but he stands out as Chow's weary best friend who is having almost as tough a time as Chow in keeping the two women from discovering the truth. It's difficult to resolve such a story, but this film is still enjoyable. In the mid- to late-1980s Chow did a number of comedies, and many of them (e.g., "The Fun, The Luck, The Tycoon") simply bring a smile but few real, deep laughs. "Diary Of A Big Man" brings out the laughter. Recommended.