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Though 2002 will hardly go down as the most illustrious year in the history of Hong Kong cinema, there were more than a few silver linings within the clouds. An encouraging sign is that interesting films came out of both the commercial and independent sectors, proving that necessity is indeed the mother of creativity. My favorite four encompass both mainstream features and indies, including two star-studded comedies and two offbeat selections that might never have enjoyed a theatrical release during the "boom times" of the early 1990s.

THE RUNAWAY PISTOL 走火槍 There may not be a star in sight, but first time director Lam Wah-chuen demonstrates stellar behind-the-scenes presence (he's also the film's writer, editor, music composer, and cameraman) in this episodic tale of a gun as it journeys across the underbelly of Hong Kong society. Lam (long-time cinematographer for Fruit Chan) combines gritty realism with black humor and just enough exaggeration to make his take on the SAR unpretentiously meaningful and extremely entertaining.

DARE YA! 大你！ While my musical taste runs more towards Ella Fitzgerald and the Big Bands, I left Dare Ya! with a new-found respect for Hong Kong's rebels of rock, LazyMuthaFuckaz or LMF. This documentary presents a multi-faceted, warts-and-all look at the controversial band whose tough talk and "colorful language" gives their songs more relevance to Hong Kong society than the insipid love tunes that inundate Cantopop. The film is raw and unpolished, like the band members themselves, and was awarded a Category III rating, not for sex or violence, but for its language. That's somewhat ironic, since LMF's message is far more laudable than the romanticized Hong Kong gangster pictures that censors deem acceptable for teen consumption.

CHINESE ODYSSEY 2002天下無雙 The best of 2002's Chinese New Year comedies, this costume picture not only has an all-star line-up from Hong Kong (Faye Wong, Tony Leung Chiu-wai), Taiwan (Chang Chen), and China (Vicki Zhao Wei), but a unique sense of humor thanks to the wacky brain of director-writer Jeff Lau. Like Lau's masterpiece, '92 The Legendary La Rose Noire (1992) [92黑玫瑰對黑玫瑰], the picture spoofs many of the conventions of Cantonese movies, including the genre of "yellow plum" operas that was once all the rage (an excellent example of which, The Kingdom and the Beauty江山美人 (1958), is available on DVD for the first time-see my article entitled WHEN STARS WERE STARS - SHAW BROTHERS CLASSICS PART I).

LOVE UNDERCOVER新紮師妹 presents laughs that are much more lowbrow-and much more rolling-in-the-aisles funny. As a bumbling undercover cop, Miriam Yeung is finally provided with a role that proves she is capable of being a first rate comedienne. It's her best movie to date, and also a highpoint in the filmography of Joe Ma, 2002's most prolific director-producer.

The Hong Kong motion picture industry may be in the doldrums, but the best of 2002 shows that there is still plenty of humor and heart. Here's looking forward to the new classics of 2003.

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