Movielogr
Moonlight Express (1999)
Directed by Daniel Lee
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On the eve of her wedding, Hitomi loses her fiance Tatsuya to a car accident. She travels to Hong Kong seeking solace and meets undercover cop Karbo — a dead ringer for Tatsuya. The duo is forced to take it on the lam when a corrupt colleague frames Karbo, and Hitomi soon finds herself torn between her love for Tatsuya and her blossoming feelings for her fellow fugitive.
Length 106 minutes
Actors
Leslie Cheung | Takako Tokiwa | Yuka Hoshino | Jack Kao | Michelle Yeoh | Mars | Rocky Lai | Liu Kai-Chi | Austin Wai | Sam Lee | Lee Heung-Kam
Viewing History (seen 1 time)
| Date Viewed | Device | Format | Source | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/14/2013 | TV | DVD | Rented | 7 stars |
| (Average) 7 stars |
Viewing Notes
Odd HK/Japan mash-up with a super schmaltzy soundtrack that threatens to detract from the central romance on numerous occasions. Fortunately the power of Leslie Cheung and Takako Tokiwa cut through making for a somber yet captivating movie.
Takes some suspension of belief to get past the Hitomi’s pursuit of Karbo, a dead ringer for her recently deceased husband (not to mention the 15+ year age gap in that couple). But give in to a woman reconciling her loss with this newly discovered doppelganger and the movie works in spades.
Not crazy how the action is shot but all the romantic drama is handled with a soft touch. Both leads look wonderful (and FWIW Cheung does not look that much older than Takako, who is crazy beautiful here).
I was probably more affected viewing this now knowing this was one of the last roles for Leslie Cheung. He was such a presence without even trying. I totally bought his character even with his death on mind the entire time.
Not a perfect film but very sweet. Also nice to see Michelle Yeoh in a small supporting role.
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