Once a Thief (1990)
Review by Doc Ezra
Film:
DVD:

Written * Directed by
John Woo Starring Chow Yun-Fat, Leslie Cheung, Cherie Chung, Kenneth Tsang, Chu Kong

Features:

• Trailers
  

Released by: Columbia Tri-Star
Region: 1
Rating: R
Anamorphic: Yes

My Advice: HK action fans should own it. Others rent first.

Jim (Cheung), Joe (Yun-Fat), and Cherie (Chung) were street-punk kids together. Life on the streets might well have killed them all early, had it not been for the intervention of a Fagan-esque father figure (Tsang) that trained them all up as an able trio of art thieves. After a heist gone terribly wrong in the opening sequence of the film, Joe is believed dead to his two partners, who proceed with their life together in hopes of moving on past the terrible tragedy.

Unbeknownst to them, Joe survived, though crippled, and returns to rejoin the group. He also believes their beloved benefactor may be responsible for setting them up in the disastrous heist, and sets about making plans for a little sweet revenge, Hong Kong action-style. As the group returns to their larcenous ways together, a detective friendly with Joe (Kong) tries to help the three get even and make this next heist their last ever (for real this time, they mean it). Amidst explosions, gunfire, and some unexpected acrobatics, the three try to steal (again) the "cursed" painting that led to all their problems in the first place.

Typical of Hong Kong cinema, if a bit unusual for John Woo himself, Once A Thief plays like a weird crossbreed between high action and romantic comedy. To Western audiences, this may make the film seem to have a bit of a focus issue, but the original intended audience demands that their movie experience contains as many different possible emotional states as possible to make it worth the ticket price.

The three leads are brilliant, even though comedy is not really Chow Yun-Fat's strong suit (nor is it really John Woo's). Some of the more slapstick moments are far enough afield of the movie's central themes that they don't really fit in, even for Hong Kong film, but those aside, it's a thoroughly enjoyable romp. The story focus on the life and times of a group of art thieves is a bit reminiscent of some of the Pink Panther films, but with the addition of lots and lots of gunplay.

The closing sequence is one of the coolest firefight sequences on film, period. If psycho Berettas-akimbo action is your cup of tea, the DVD is worth it for the last half-hour or so alone. Woo's inventiveness in such sequences is in full, glorious evidence, and there are some truly clever moments in the battle that one will see copied or paid homage to in dozens of films that came later. This is where Chow Yun-Fat really shines. When the dialogue stops and the shooting starts, he's got one of the most undeniable screen presences in the industry. Leslie Cheung is no slouch in the action department, either.

The DVD offers up a great video and audio presentation, but precious little else. It's a shame Woo doesn't do more commentary tracks, as I'd love to hear him talk more about his craft. Ditto Chow Yun-Fat. Hell, even some filmographies would have been nice, or discussion of Woo's 1995 remake of the title for Canadian TV. Alas, no features are to be had aside from trailers for other films, few of which look all that interesting or related (Equilibrium being a notable exception).