18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Fight for Tomorrow movie review: Patrick Tam anchors surprisingly uplifting gangster drama
3.5/5 stars
A potentially corny tale involving old-fashioned gangland heroics and an ex-convict father's belated redemption is told with a great deal of nuance and heart in Fight for Tomorrow, a refreshingly uplifting crime drama by Hong Kong writer-director Chan Tai-lee (
Tomorrow is Another Day ).
In a rare leading role that marks his best performance in years, veteran actor Patrick Tam Yiu-man (
Breakout Brothers ) leaves a vivid impression as Shek Sam-long, a former mob boss who was once known for his ferocious attitude, but has since lost both his marriage and fortune after several years in prison.
Living alone in a shabby rooftop flat and stuck in a valet parking job with a condescending boss, Sam-long's dream of starting a bar business of his own and turning his life around seems remote – especially as the Covid-19 pandemic has wrecked the economy and made it impossible for him to secure a loan.
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Then the former 'fighter' finds a renewed focus in his life when, after a foolish scuffle on the street, he is taken to the police station and somehow chances upon his long-estranged son, Shek Tau (Locker Lam Ka-hei,
Smashing Frank ), or Stone, in the same room.
