Think about it for a second: a drama about the mentally disabled, written and directed by Wong Jing. Has a scarier sentence ever been written? Unfortunately, the finished product is just about as bad as the basic idea.

Judging from its filmic output, Hong Kong is a decade or two behind the United States in terms of sensitivity to the plights of various minorities. While "Crying Heart" is, at least in theory, sympathetic to the mentally retarded, Patrick Tam's portrayal (like his Legend of Speed stutterer) basically consists of acting childish and letting his mouth hang open. It's hard to know whether his exploits are supposed to be funny or not. Are we supposed to laugh when Patrick develops an interest in breasts? I'm not sure even Wong Jing knew.

When the slim plot finally kicks in around the 30 minute mark, (because, hey, a retarded man and his sick mother aren't a very good story by themselves) its inevitable (and sickening) conclusion is instantly predictable. You'll pray it won't happen, because it's just too stupid, manipulative, and unbelievable... But it does. No big surprise, just the final insult in a film that insults the audience and its subjects throughout. Depressing both in terms of content and as a piece of work.