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The film opens with Tse working as a bartender, and meeting up with a drunken woman know only as “Ice.” Although it is obvious that she can’t stand him, they go drinking together and end the night by throwing up on cars from an overpass. Isn’t that romantic? They then go to Tse’s apartment, and in the morning he wakes up only to find out she was an undercover cop. Did they have sex? Neither of them is sure, but “Ice” ends up pregnant. This would be a problem for any woman, but it just so happens that Ice is a lesbian. We soon learn that Tse’s character is named Tyler, and that he begins to work for an unlicensed bodyguard company run by Uncle Ji. We also learn that Tyler doesn’t take his job too seriously and only has a fake gun. (Not the kind of bodyguard I would want to hire.) While he is buying his fake gun, he meets up with Jack Chow, who happens to be the son-in-law of Uncle Ji’s new client, Mr. Hong. (Are you still with me here?? If all the characters confuse you, take a good stiff drink and it’ll all become clear. Either that, or you just won’t care anymore.) Just to clarify, Jack is married to Hong’s daughter Josephine. People (we’re not sure who) are trying to kill Hong, and Tyler manages to foil one attempt on the millionaire’s life. He, Jack and Josephine become pretty good friends. He slips money to Ice under her apartment door because he is sure the baby is his and he feels bad. Everything seems to be going well. That is, until the Angels show up. They are Hispanic mafia/gang members/religious zealots who speak only in bad English slang and try to kill everyone. The problem: Jack used to be an Angel. Thus begins a series of gun-fights and shoot-outs that showcase how inept Tyler is, how bad-ass the Angels are, and how much MORE bad-ass Jack is. He’s like a combination of a ninja and a Navy SEAL. In the end, the bad-guys all die, Josephine has a baby in the middle of a gun-fight, and Tyler manages to survive. Jack is forced to run because the police think he is a murderer, but it’s mostly a happy ending. So, do I recommend Time and Tide? Well, yes, though not without some trepidation. The plot, as you may have gleaned from my synopsis, is a bit disjointed and has some pretty ludicrous moments. There are a lot of sub-plots to follow to, and keeping it all straight in your head can be quite a challenge. However, the acting is very good, Nicolas Tse proving that he can be completely clueless and still somehow likeable. The gunfights in the apartment building and Kowloon Station are virtuoso in their filming and the tension they create and sustain. In many respects, this reminded me of a John Woo film minus the bullet-time. Tsui Hark has a very bold, Hollywood style that manages to still feel like a foreign film. The use of music and comedy in this movie keeps it from being too violent and serious. My favorite scene involves Tyler, Jack and Josephine driving home singing an old Chinese drinking song that Jack had tried to pass off as “Happy Birthday.” It’s a nice, light moment and illustrates the group’s friendship quite well. My advice to you is to rent Time and Tide and watch it at least twice. Only then will you be able to appreciate the dynamic action and filming of the movie without scratching your head in puzzlement every five minutes. Maybe. |