The Story of My Son, which revolves around the declining fortunes of a widowed father and his two sons, is a well-executed early work by Johnnie To. Shot in 1990, it offers a glimpse of Hong Kong in the old days. Be sure not to miss this hidden gem.
★★★☆☆ 3/5
A quick search on the internet reveals sparse information about the 1990 Hong Kong film The Story of My Son. It is, in fact, one of the lesser-known early works of the renowned auteur Johnnie To, made before he started his own production company, Milkyway Image. Besides directing the film, Johnnie To also co-wrote the script with his frequent collaborator Wai Ka Fai. The Story of My Son, as its name suggests, has a father and his two sons as its protagonists. The film, however, has a different Chinese title, the literal translation of which is “The World of Love”. Interestingly, those who did comment on the film online pointed out how misleading this title is. A Facebook user thought it would be more accurate if the film was titled “The World of Miseries”. Indeed, while one can certainly see the affection between the father and his sons and, to a greater extent, between the brothers, the story follows their miserable lives, which take a nosedive following the death of the mother.
This is, one can say, a simple story with no surprises. The very first scene introduces the family around which the story will revolve: the father, carrying the cremation urn of his deceased wife, and his two sons, one older and one younger. What follows is one bad decision after another. The father, in debt after spending his fortune trying to save his wife, decides to bet on horse racing. Of course, he loses all the money. He then decides to borrow from loan sharks and even acts as a guarantor for his friend’s loan. It is not difficult to predict, at the moment he resorts to such an avenue, that at some point in this film, his family will end up in extreme poverty, hiding away from the violent loan sharks. As expected, the plot about the downfall of the family’s fortunes comes with many melodramatic scenes where the father and his sons hit each other out of anger and cry due to regret. The plot is simple, but the film is, overall, well-executed.
In terms of acting, Damian Lau Chung Yan delivers a splendid performance as the father, sometimes diligent and caring, sometimes pathetic and irrational. Especially worth watching is the performance by the two child actors, Huang Kun-Hsuen from Taiwan and Cheng Pak Lam from Hong Kong. They vividly portray children of their ages, being mischievous but obedient to their father at the end of the day. The late Ng Man Tat, who appears in the early parts of the film, is also brilliant.
A highlight of watching this film now is being able to have a glimpse of Hong Kong in the old days in high definition. The first scene shows planes descending to the old Kai Tak Airport. The two boys enjoy a day out in the Lai Chi Kok Amusement Park, more commonly known as Lai Yuen, which was closed in 1997 and subsequently demolished. The classic non-air-conditioned double-decker buses, in beige and red, move on the busy streets in Mong Kok. Don’t miss the chance to watch this hidden gem by Johnnie To.
