Monday, February 3, 2020

One Night Only / 天亮之前 - Movie Review


The Movie: One Night Only / 天亮之前

The Director: Matt Wu

The Cast: Aaron Kwok, Yang Zishan, Hao Lei, Andy On, Jack Kao, Zhou Yutong, Li Haofei, Jessie Li, Fan Tiantian

The Story: After squandering his inheritance, a gambling addict befriends a prostitute who decides to help him find his daughter, while avoiding the local gangsters who want him to repay his debts.


The Review:
How have I not watched this movie until now?! I should know to trust in anything that Aaron Kwok has a part in, I mean he is one of China's biggest movie stars. There wasn't as much action as I was expecting which was totally okay because the story is more of a romantic comedy with some action elements thrown in just for fun. Also, this is Matt Wu's feature film debut which makes the production even more impressive as the whole thing has such a vivid and clean visual style, you would think it had come from a more seasoned director.

Whoever decided to pair up Aaron Kwok with Yang Zishan in a movie like this is a very smart person. They play off each other perfectly and have a chemistry that is as adorable as it is explosive. Their back and forth banter is often hilarious and yet they also know when to hit just the right emotional beats. I was surprised at just how much I was emotionally invested in the story and character and by the time things start to wrap up in the third act, there was more than a couple moments that really hit me in the feelings. Seriously, be prepared, especially when it comes to a couple twists that are revealed near the end.

Going back to the action, there are a few fun fight scenes although the highlight comes from a car chase that could just as easily have come from the Fast and Furious franchise because of its creativity and edge of your seat energy. A lot of the action has a bit of a comedic angle to it which keeps things light and fun just like the rest of the movie.


The Verdict:
One Night Only is a super fun movie that touches all the bases from action to comedy to romance and just about everything in between. Aaron Kwok once gain proves his star power while Yang Zishan stands toe to toe with him every step of the way.


Check out the brand new TwoOhSix.com Podcast!






1 comment: