Those Were the Days... (1995) User Reviews

A qualified movie but not outstanding

[xingyehuaiyin · 6/10 · 30 October 2009]

This movie has drawn materials from a real case happened in Hongkong.It has a good topic but the story is not wonderful enough, even a little tedious.Fracis Wu did a good job.Though he's known as a singer more than an actor,his performance is exciting and affecting.For this,he got a "the best new actor"prize .Beyond this,the music of the movie,which is also composed by Wu,fits for the development of the story.The interlude and the theme song is the two most popular songs of Wu.Wu,whose nationality is Singapore, is very popular in Chinese world.

Kent Cheng,an experienced actor in Hongkong,also sufficiently showed his acting.I really respect him.Due to his fat appearance,many people take him as a single comic actor,I want to guide them to appreciate more Cheng's movies.

In 1995,HK movies are decreasing,but this film is still worth watching,though it seems to be too simple.

A change of pace for Billy Tang.

[Captain_Couth · 8/10 · 19 February 2005]

Those Were the Days (1995) follows a group of childhood friends who fall on hard times. Some of them become street hoods whilst the others become drug addicts. A sad tale that is all to common. Shot in a docu-drama fashion, this movie is also about redemption and finding a light at the end of the tunnel. Will any of these childhood friends rely upon each other and get out of the triad or drug abuser life style or will they just become another statistic?

A change of pace for Category III film maker Billy Tang. He uses all of his usual trademarks (Blue lighting, filming in shadows) whilst filming this heart felt docu-drama. The movie seems to be based upon a true story but I couldn't follow the epilogue because it was written in very small Chinese characters.

A very interesting film, if you can find a copy.

Highly recommended.

excellent story with educational value.. there might be SPOILERS!!!

[avengingangelo_2002 · 27 September 2004]

This film is one of those films that do not glorifies being in a secret society nor being a drug addict. Instead, this film portray the voice of many gangsters and drug addicts. And the end of the show is about how an ex drug addict kick his drug habit with just a helping hand , his willpower and the care of his loved ones.

The early part of the film is on joining secret society. Some useful issues is revealed like why some people join secret society (to bully others or get protection) and how bossy a boss is. Then it moves on to the negative impacts of being a gangster, from being drifted apart from family members to fighting to how seeing friends killed in a gang fight is devastating to how a gangster is afraid of the police and other hoodlums.

The rest of the film is about the gangster turned drug addict. Now the negative impacts shown ranges from being weak and useless to having lesser friends to further drifting from family and loved ones. But just as the going gets tough for the main character, he received a helping hand and eventually kick his drug habit. The film ends with his receiving of some award and advising every hoodlums and drug addicts to change.