LOST IN TIME

Hong Kong, 2003, 109 minutes, Colour.
Cecilia Cheung, Lau Ching- Wan, Louis Koo.
Directed by Derek Yee.

Lost in Time is a popular Hong Kong story. It is done in the vein of a television movie – with the touch of soap opera.

The film has an authentic feel with the Hong Kong settings. It faces themes of memories and death, people having to let go of the past.

The film was directed by popular director and actor Derek Yee. After Lost in Time Ye directed several films which received international release, One Night in Mongkok, Two Young and Drink Drank Drunk.

1. A popular piece of film-making? For the widest possible audience? The soap opera aspects of the film and its style? A tear-jerker?

2. The Hong Kong settings, an authentic feel, the apartments, the bus station, the streets and the various locations for the mini-buses? The restaurants for the gang lords? The shops? The musical score and its feel?

3. The title, memories, death, people having to let go of the past and face the future?

4. Holly, waiting at the bus station, the rain, Hale not picking her up? Her contact with her fiance? His listening to the crash? Hale and his coming to help, taking the victim to the hospital? The bystanders and the other driver wanting to discount blame? The fiance's last words, wanting the mobile phone? Holly rushing to the hospital, Hale seeing her, ringing, cutting her off? Her thinking that her fiance had phoned her and could not be dead?

5. Holly, her age, her love for her mother, clashes with her father, her haughty and dominating sister? The memories of her meeting her fiance, in the bus, not wanting to get off, his knowing her, the baby, their discussions, the years passing, Laurie and his growing up? The proposal? The pathos of the fiance's death?

6. Holly's decision to bring up Laurie? The background of her fiance and his wife, her not wanting the baby, her leaving her husband, giving up the baby, his having custody and bringing the baby up, her rarely having seen Laurie? The in-laws and their concern? Holly's own parents, the family meeting, her sister laying down the law? Holly and her decision to raise Laurie?

7. The issue of the mini-bus, the discussions with the managers of the firm? Hale giving her advice about bargaining for the price? Its restoration? Her easy decision to run the mini-bus? Her determination - and her capacity for irritating people? Driving the bus, hitting other vehicles, driving slowly, the passengers complaining, in a loading zone and her getting a ticket, the gang controllers and telling her not to pick up passengers? The bad first day? Her gradually learning, Hale helping her? Her decision to defy the gangsters, taking Laurie and going to confront them, the fact that Laurie knew the gangster's grandchild at school and they played together, the concession for her to continue driving?

8. Her relationship with Laurie, as a substitute mother, taking him to school, looking after him at home, meals, bath? Illness? Playing with him?

9. Hale, bus driver, not knowing his story? His generosity towards Holly, helping her out, lending the money, teaching her, picking up Laurie? His love for Laurie, playing together? The couple, the bonds between them? His back-story, gambling, the phone call from his wife, her taking his son? His home and the room prepared for the son? The relationship with Holly? The possibility of their being a family? The issues of the rent, the mortgage on the car, his covering everything, her loving him for himself and not just because she felt sorry for him?

10. Laurie, the effect of the two adults in his life, his going to the grave and putting the urn with his father's ashes inside? Knowing that his father was dead? His grandparents? Calling Holly "Mother"? His seeing Hale as a father? Holly and her desperation, taking him to the orphanage, Hale and his offer to look after them? The possibility of being a family?

11. Holly's family, her mother and her preparing meals, the visits? The clashes with her father? The sister and her speech and not wanting Holly to bring up Laurie? The parents visiting the apartment and meeting Hale, their accepting him, the father and his support? Holly and her eventually going to her father, his talking to the boy, his telling him the ideal - and the implications of the criticisms of Holly when she was a girl, headstrong, yet dependent? The reconciliation with her father?

12. The background of the mini-bus drivers, the controller, the men antagonistic towards a woman driver? The gangsters and their territories? The background of school, the teachers?

13. A slice of Hong Kong life - done as a television movie with emotional manipulation and the touch of the soap opera?