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Rich and Famous

Rich and Famous

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Product Info Reviews

Features:
  • Color
  • Widescreen


Description:

Chow Yun-fat in his smooth, controlled Better Tomorrow mode as a charismatic gang lord. It's a derivative mob chronicle, enjoyable but flat-footed to the point of incoherence (most of the visual and character transitions are bungled). Basically it's about two young brothers who get into crime in the '50s, after the super-cool "nice" gang boss, Chai (Chow), shields them from a nasty older gangster with a shaved head. Eventually one of the brothers, Yung (Alex Man Chi-lung), betrays Chai, strangles a lovable fat Thai drug smuggler, and goes into business for himself. The second, good brother emigrates to Malaysia to open a seafood restaurant. The movie makes no sense morally: Chow's character is a drug smuggler, but he's romanticized because he rewards loyalty and loves puppies. The tangled undergrowth of brother-love, father-love, boss-love, and he-manly loyalty--almost none of it thought through or sorted out--would be far too rich an emotional stew for most American films. The sequel, Tragic Hero, is actually a better movie. --David Chute
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