Uncommon Lau

>> Hong Kong's salt-of-the earth superstar, Lau Ching-wan

by RUPERT BOTTENBERG

In the '80s, when Chow Yun-fat was a central figure in Hong Kong soap operas milking mah-jong matrons for laffs and tears, he probably never thought that a decade later he'd come to typify the modern HK action hero. Then John Woo, a comedy-to-crime flick shipjumper himself, cast Chow in A Better Tomorrow, and history was made.

The filmography of H.K. actor Lau Ching-wan follows a similar trajectory. Those of us who know him through his numerous stints in tough, dark crime noir numbers might be a bit surprised to find out that he started out doing light comedies and romance films. Lau himself still raises his distinctive eyebrows at the idea. "I didn't expect my career would take this direction," he tells me. "In fact, I like to try different things myself. I would not like myself being confined to a single genre of films. I still enjoy doing romance and comedy a lot. It's just that the tough crime drama has always been a trend in the H.K. film market."

It's not a total surprise, when you note that Lau can bring a very subtle comedic touch to the toughest of tough guys. Moreover, whether he's playing a Triad thug, a tough-as-nails cop or even a hardbitten firefighter, there's always a very convincing, down-to-earth character coming through. "If you like the comedic touch to the character, you must have a great sense of humour. I guess, I like it myself, and I believe our behaviour sometimes look silly in other people's eyes. Maybe that's why I do it."

Lau stars in two films presented at Fantasia this year. One is Victim, a departure for director Ringo Lam in that his trademarked gritty realism is cut with supernatural elements. Lau plays a kidnap victim, who might or might not be possessed by the spirit of an axe murderer, with frightening competence. "It was challenging," he says. "I seldom play a role who has gone to such an extreme." Add to that the fact that his on-screen wife, terrorized by her unbalanced hubby, is played by Lau's real-life lady Amy Kwok. "It's both harder and easier to work with my wife. It's easier because we understand each other pretty well. But for the same reason, it's harder because I have to keep separating her as my real wife from her role."

The other entry is Johnnie To's Running Out of Time, a fantastic piece of work that pits Lau's cop against Andy Lau's clever but cancer-stricken crook. Funny, touching and suspenseful, the film also avoids gratuitous gunplay, confirming its underlying theme of the value of human life. "Johnnie had made it clear that this movie was not about violence. We would rather tell a good story. I also believe that gunfight is necessary only if it can help to tell the story."

Now a bonafide big-timer at home, Lau, like other H.K. talent, is looking to branch out internationally. "I've just finished a Canadian film, a co-production with a H.K. company. It was directed by a Canadian director, named Michael Parker. It's my first English-speaking film, and I would like to work with other non-Chinese directors if the right projects come along."

Lau presents Running Out of Time at Cinéma Impérial on Monday, July 24. Victim plays Wednesday, July 26