Small-time hood Wah Dee (Andy Lau, Infernal Affairs) is enlisted by Triad boss Trumpet (Tommy Wong, The Killer) as a getaway driver for a daring heist that goes wrong. Thinking fast Dee takes Jo Jo (Jacklyn Chien-Lien Wu, The Barefooted Kid) hostage to save his skin, but the bosses order her to be killed. They escape and begin a forbidden relationship while being chased by both sides of the law. Produced by Johnnie To (Throwdown) and Ringo Lam (City on Fire) the film is sensationally directed by Benny Chan in his feature debut. With a breakneck pace and violence reminiscent of To and Takashi Miike and the beautiful and emotive sensibility of Wong Kar-wai, the film features stunning performances from Lau, and Wu in her debut work. A Moment of Romance is a classic of Hong Kong cinema that has been much imitated but rarely bettered.

For thoughts on A Moment Of Romance, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/17tejdPYFEY?si=FBrFPoQFgQe9FIZO&t=2625]

Video Quality

A Moment Of Romance debuts on Blu-Ray courtesy of Radiance Films with a 4K restoration of the Original Camera Negative which looks pretty spectacular. This new release offers a robust presentation that ranks among the best we have seen from the label, most likely due to it being a bit more recent than many others. The transfer steers clear of filtering and DNR which allows it to present with a striking organic appearance. It is a pleasure to see how well the grain resolves, but admittedly there are some stray moments when the grain field spikes and the image quality dips for a few seconds.

The transfer delivers sumptuous color saturation with vibrant hues popping off the screen. This is most apparent in the lighting, some elements of vegetation and certain clothing that is visually striking. Fine detail does not disappoint as you take in intricate facets of the outfits and production design without issue. This transfer showcases virtually nothing in the way of wear and tear, and the film does not exhibit any notable instances of compression artifacts. Radiance Films has really delivered a high quality visual experience with this one.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray presents the film with a LPCM 2.0 mono track in the original Cantonese with optional English subtitles. Dialogue is clear and easily distinguishable throughout the film. The soundscape packs a punch in the action set pieces which adds a bit of heft to the overall mix. One of the most notable elements of this film is the score, which maintains a stable fidelity with no real instances of age related wear and tear. There are no moments that appear overly bright or show signs of unwanted wear and tear. Radiance Films has done a lovely job of presenting this film in the best quality possible.

Special Features

The first-pressing of the Radiance Films Blu-Ray of A Moment Of Romance includes a booklet featuring new writing on the iconic cast and crew by critic Sean Gilman; and a profile of Benny Chan by Tony Williams, co-editor of Hong Kong Neo Noir. These both provide a great exploration of the talent involved. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Audio Commentary: Asian cinema expert Frank Djeng provide a jam-packed commentary track in which he discusses the production of this film, where this fits into the careers of the cast and creative team, the direction of Benny Chan, the shooting locations, the state of the film industry at the time, thematic analysis and more.

Benny Chan: A nearly 22-minute archival audio interview with director Benny Chan from 2016 in which he discusses his career, his work with Johnnie To, his work on A Moment of Romance, his notable collaborations and more that is well worth a listen.

In Love and Danger – HK Cinema Through A Moment Of Romance: A new 26-minute visual essay from critic and Asian cinema expert David Desser which delves into the genre tropes in the movie and how they are used in Hong Kong Cinema. This piece does a good job of not only analyzing various moments, but it also shines a spotlight on other movies you may want to check out in the future.

Trailer: The four-minute trailer is provided here.

Final Thoughts

A Moment Of Romance is a really versatile and transfixing piece of Hong Kong cinema which delivers on both the crime thriller side of the equation as well as the emotional drama. Director Benny Chan does a really good job of helming this one early in his career, and the two stars at the forefront of this picture conjure some nice chemistry which makes the story a bit more believable. This one is deserving of a bright spotlight in the modern day. Radiance Films has released a Blu-Ray featuring a grand A/V presentation and some excellent special features. If you are a fan of Hong Kong cinema, this is an essential pick up. Recommended

A Moment Of Romance is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Radiance Films has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.