Once a Thief

I suppose it is fair to say that John Woo is an artist -- an artist of action (despite some of his recent misfires). His Hong Kong action films are unmistakeably balletic, often occuring around a plot borrowed from a Jean-Pierre Melville film. But story is unimportant -- it's just the stuff you need in order to get to the next action sequence (and I say that with respect, because Woo knows his art and doesn't waste time with the parts he is less gifted in). This is one of his more light-hearted films, and of course stars Chow Yun Fat. Unfortunately, the action scenes (until the end) are generally less inspired and farther between than those from his finest work (The Killer and Hard Boiled). His specialty is the close quarter gun fight which he photographs with an unusual bravado. It's still better than most of his Hollywood outings though, despite the obvious budgetary constraints.