A Moment of Romance II (1993)

Disappointingly unfocused

Right out of the starting gate, it's hard not to be disappointed and perhaps even slightly insulted by A Moment of Romance II. It's horribly unfocused, sharing very little of the original film's excitement or romance along with contrived plotting that doesn't add up to more than manufactured pathos. While the first film at least had some thematic and dramatic justification for its tragic resolution, this one seems to follow a similar pattern to get a rise out of this audience. It doesn't work; you have to care about the characters first. Johnnie To certainly didn't ghost-direct this one... That being said, this is far from a poorly made film, Benny Chan does a more than decent job in the film's direction. The actors all do a decent job with the material given even if Aaron Kwok isn't a real replacement for Andy Lau, the real highlight is the typically slimy Anthony Wong, and the music by William Wu does evoke some form of emotional resonance. Sadly, A Moment in Romance II spreads itself too thin; one that doesn't work as a romance or a thriller, a tragic case of a film trying to be everything to everybody, and ending up as a bit of nothing to no one.

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