One More Chance (PG13)

Starring Chow Yun Fat, Anita Yuen, Will Or

Directed by Anthony Pun

How does Chow Yun Fat look so young?

The dude, 68, is naughty, has long hair and is so trim he runs a lot here. From loan sharks, gangsters and even in cross-country races.

Because somehow this pic goes from Rain Man to Marathon Man as it segues from an autism-gambling potential to a long-distance running deal looking like a father-son Chariots Of Fire.    

Actually, this 2019 flick looks like a relic from the 1990s since Anita Yuen pops up too.

It’s an old-fashioned, Jack Neo-style family dramedy about a rascally dad and his previously unknown autistic son colliding before connecting. Heartwarming, likeable and generally okay, but unremarkable.

You watch it because it's great to see Chow back in the streets. This time in Macau.  

Wikipedia puts its budget at US$40 million (S$54 mil).  That’s insane but directed by Anthony Pun who’s primarily a cinematographer (Anita, Divergence), it doubles as an effective tourist brochure with panoramic views of Macau’s scenic sights.

One More Chance: Chow Yun Fat and Anita Yuen realise they go to the same hair dresser.

Chow plays Water Ng, exuding hustler vibes as an irrepressible barber and incorrigible gambler in the casinos where he totes up a huge debt owed to thugs who like to do a lot of chasing on foot.

Water’s routine with his pals in their cosy barber shop is disrupted when his ex-girlfriend, Lee Xi (Yuen), suddenly surprises him by paying him $100,000 to spend a month with their son while she goes away. Her heavy heart says it’s not to anywhere good but her happy-chappie ex-beau has zero clue. 

Water takes the kid in for the big payoff. Flashbacks show back in the courtship days, he took in strays too, including hardcore punks, rescued by his do-gooder social-worker girlfriend.  

“I’ll do all I can to be a bad influence,” Water quips sarcastically in a cheeky Chow-way suggesting he doesn’t really mean it.

The son, Yeung (Will Or), is difficult, uncommunicative, plugged into his earphones and wrecks the place just to catch a rat. All to sell the “special needs” angle here.

Thing is, One More Chance posits a sanguine autism that seems too feel-good iffy.

It’s filled with scenes of pop and son turning each other nuts — when was the last time you saw Chow Yun Fat in a toilet gag? — before bonding eventually as every family should. It gets especially moving when Yuen is in the picture.    

You’d think this is set up for a Rain Man knock-off but it takes off in a different direction by turning into a story about buddy-running since repetitive movement is apparently ideal therapy for autistic folks.

Whatever suits writer Felix Chong (Infernal Affairs trilogy) who initially titled this show more interestingly as Be Water, My Friend as a Bruce Lee-inspired movie.

Luckily, he has Mr Chow.

Whether he’s being irresponsible, reckless, mean, kind, caring or compassionate, sometimes all in one go here, he's such an affable, appealing charmer.

In this redemption tale about a lousy addict-dad turned good, he’s a safe bet for any gambling table. (3/5 stars)