And the John Woo film festival starts now! Thanks to my wife for encouraging me to go off brand and dive deep into some truly amazing Hong Kong cinema. John Woo films were a staple for the first 10 years of the TIFF for us. A Better Tomorrow was the first. It’s undeniable that Woo created a unique visual cinematic style incorporated by many filmmakers even today. His shoot-em-ups are like a very precise ballet. Often shot in a long single take. Then some very impressive hyperbolic editing. Who needs coffee? I’m all hopped up on Hong Kong action films now. Don’t mess with me!! I remember making this TIFF selection solely based on the photo below of the Mexican stand-off. Then I found out it was a John Woo film. Hurray! Also my first introduction to Simon Yam. Yes, Chow Yun-fat can do comedy too. Only stop to reload. Really? They don’t. Another John WOOism. They never run out of bullets. 32 rounds out of a Beretta 92FS that only holds 17 without a re-load. This would have driven my dad crazy. He was the gun continuity expert. Anyway, this is a comedy. Who cares about bullets? My dad would have.
