Alan & Eric - Between Hello and Goodbye (1991)



	Alan & Eric - Between Hello and Goodbye		Return to Review Archive - A
	\| review \| awards \| availability \|		Alan Tam, Eric Tsang and Maggie Cheung
	Year:	1991
	Director:	Peter Chan Ho-Sun
	Producer:	Lee Chi-Ngai, Peter Chan Ho-Sun, Samson Chiu Leung-Chun, Barry Wong Ping-Yiu
	Writer:	Lee Chi-Ngai, Barry Wong Ping-Yiu
	Cast:	Alan Tam Wing-Lun, Eric Tsang Chi-Wai, Maggie Cheung Man-Yuk, Blacky Ko Sau-Leung, Barry Wong Ping-Yiu, Paul Fonoroff
	The Skinny:	Tear-jerker from the guys who would go on to create the United Filmmakers Organization (UFO). The drama and the execution are not as polished as their later works, but it's still an affecting movie.
	Review by Kozo:	Pre-UFO drama from UFO’s main men, Peter Chan and Lee Chi-Ngai. This is an effective, though schmaltzy tearjerker about two lifelong friends, Alan Tam and Eric Tsang. Eric is a kindly, self-sacrificing man who gives everything up for those he loves. This includes a romance with the woman he loves, Olive (a winning Maggie Cheung). When it’s revealed to him that his easygoing buddy Alan digs Maggie and vice versa, he gladly steps out of the way to let them get it on. Alan eventually goes on to become a huge popstar (which makes for some easily obtained footage at one of Alan’s many concerts), leaving his two friends alone. When it’s revealed that Eric loves Maggie, the whole thing collapses, though a final plot device allows for some tear-soaked closure. The sappy elements of this flick are all-too-apparent, as the UFO guys had yet to learn the magic of quirkiness which so often saves otherwise bland mushy stuff. Unlike later UFO efforts, supporting characters (like Blackie Ko, Barry Wong, and Paul Fornoroff) are left in the back and given little to do. Thankfully one of UFO’s major characteristics comes through: it’s the characters that drive the movie, not plot set-up. Both Cheung and Tsang are genuinely affecting, and there is real character work in Eric Tsang’s award-winning role. This is an affecting work, and a good primer for UFO's later films. (Kozo 1996)
	Awards:	11th Annual Hong Kong Film Awards • Winner - Best Actor (Eric Tsang Chi-Wai) • Nomination - Best Screenplay (Lee Chi-Ngai, Barry Wong Ping-Yiu) • Nomination - Best Art Direction (Luk Man-Wah)
	Availability:	DVD (Hong Kong) Region 0 NTSC Universe Laser Widescreen Cantonese and Mandarin Language Tracks Removable English and Chinese Subtitles

		image courtesy of Universe Laser and Video Co., Ltd.
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