1991 Hong Kong film
| Once a Thief | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | John Woo |
| Written by | John Woo Janet Chun Clifton Ko |
| Produced by | Terence Chang Linda Kuk |
| Starring | Chow Yun-fat Leslie Cheung Cherie Chung Kenneth Tsang |
| Cinematography | Poon Hang-sang William Yim |
| Edited by | David Wu |
| Music by | Violet Lam |
| Production companies | Golden Princess Film Production Milestone Films |
| Distributed by | Golden Princess Amusement |
| Release dates |
|
| Running time | 103 minutes |
| Country | Hong Kong |
| Languages | Cantonese English French |
| Box office | HK$33,397,149 |
Once a Thief (Chinese: 縱橫四海; Literal Title: Criss-Cross Over Four Seas) is a 1991 Hong Kong heist comedy film directed by John Woo, who also wrote the screenplay with Janet Chun and Clifton Ko. The film stars Chow Yun-fat, Leslie Cheung, Cherie Chung, Kenneth Tsang and Paul Chu. The film was released theatrically in Hong Kong on 2 February 1991, before the lucrative Chinese Lunar New Year holiday season begins.
Plot
James (Leslie Cheung), Red Bean Pudding (Chow Yun-Fat) and Red Bean (Cherie Chung) are three orphans raised by crime lord Boss Chow (Kenneth Tsang), and grow up to become high end art thieves. Father directs the three to steal a cursed painting located in France.
After the heist in France goes awry, Red Bean Pudding is thought to be dead, and James and Red Bean start a relationship. James finds out that the cursed painting was a ploy by Father to increase its value, and when Red Bean Pudding resurfaces again, the group begins to plot their final heist with the very painting from France all those years ago.
Cast
- Chow Yun-fat as Red Bean Pudding/Joey
- Leslie Cheung as James
- Cherie Chung as Red Bean/Cheri
- Kenneth Tsang as Chow
- Paul Chu as Godfather
- Bowie Wu as Stanley Wu
- John Tang Yat-gwan as Young Red Bean Pudding
- Tong Ka-fai as Young James
- Leila Tong as Young Red Bean
- Declan Wong as Magician Henchman
- David Wu as Auctioneer
- Pierre-Yves Burton as Mr Le Bond, a Frenchman who hires Joey, and James to steal a painting, but later betrays them. Le Bond is later murdered by Chow's henchmen as a loose end.
Release
The film grossed HK$33,397,149 in Hong Kong.
Columbia Tri-Star released it on DVD in the United States on 22 April 2003. It included no special features beyond trailers. On 27 December 2004, Hong Kong Legends released a DVD in the United Kingdom. Eight months later, on 5 September 2005, the John Woo Collection, a four-disc DVD set, was released. It includes the two action films Bullet in the Head and The Killer.
Reception
Scott Tobias of The A.V. Club wrote that Woo's style makes up for the film's implausibility and lack of logic. Kevin Lee DVD Verdict wrote that the film has "a lack of focus and an uneven tone". Chris Gould of DVDactive.com rated the film 5/10 and wrote that there was too much slapstick. J. Doyle Wallis of DVD Talk rated it 2.5/5 stars and called it "an odd and annoyingly silly entry during most creative period".
Accolades
| Accolades | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ceremony | Category | Recipient | Outcome |
| 11th Hong Kong Film Awards | Best Film | Once A Thief | Nominated |
| Best Director | John Woo | Nominated | |
| Best Actor | Chow Yun-fat | Nominated | |
| Best Film Editing | David Wu | Nominated | |
See also
- Once a Thief (1996), a Canadian television film remake starring with Nicholas Lea and Ivan Sergei that was later spun off into a television series of the same name which ran from 1997 to 1998. Both films were directed by John Woo.
References
- ^ Wallis, J. Doyle (9 May 2003). "Once a Thief". DVD Talk. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
- ^ Gould, Chris. "Chris Gould takes a look at the latest release from Hong Kong Legends, John Woo's action-comedy Once a Thief..." DVDactive.com. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
- Tobias, Scott (6 May 2003). "Once A Thief (DVD)". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
- Lee, Kevin (19 June 2003). "Once A Thief". DVD Verdict. Archived from the original on 19 July 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
External links
- Once a Thief at IMDb
- Once a Thief at AllMovie
- Once a Thief at the TCM Movie Database
- Once a Thief at Rotten Tomatoes
- 1991 films
- 1991 comedy films
- 1990s buddy comedy films
- 1990s crime comedy films
- 1990s heist films
- 1990s Hong Kong films
- 1990s martial arts comedy films
- 1990s Cantonese-language films
- Films about orphans
- Films about theft
- Films directed by John Woo
- Films set in Hong Kong
- Films set in Paris
- Films set in Vancouver
- Gun fu films
- Hong Kong buddy films
- Hong Kong crime comedy films
- Hong Kong heist films
- Hong Kong martial arts comedy films
- Hong Kong New Wave films