For Your Heart Only
Director: Raymond Fung
Year: 1985
Rating: 6.0
Though this 1985 Cinema City offering has all
the initial earmarks of a typical teenage romantic comedy, it eventually takes
on a surprising dramatic resonance that was fairly effective and adult in
nature. There are also a number of very solid acting performances from some
now well known stars, but done here when they were still fairly young, and
one from an actor much better known for his stunt and action skills.
A young and pouty Leslie Cheung appears almost to be in training for his
Yuddy role in Days of Being Wild. Charming, selfish and narcissistic, he
plays with women like most of us do with spare change in our pocket. He moves
into his friends low rent tenement apartment along with his other friend
Meng Hoi. One of the small pleasures of this film is the lack of glamorizing
the living conditions of the characters – every one is stuck taking buses,
being low on funds and living in small cramped spaces. Another nice bit is
that though the young characters are going through the process of growing
up and becoming independent, their parents still play an important role in
their lives.
One morning Loletta Lee – wearing a very fetching nightie – gets locked out
of her apartment in the hallway. She is staying with her friend Bonnie Law
and both are nurses at a nearby hospital. Of course, she bumps into Leslie
who immediately puts her in the firing range of his pretty boy sleepy-eyed
charm and sweet Loletta is clearly no match for his romantic come ons. On
the morning after, Leslie brushes her off like leftover cake crumbs and the
look of pain and sadness that fills Loletta’s face is heart rendering.
Meng Hoi meanwhile develops a crush on Leslie’s sister, Ann Bridgewater,
but Leslie doesn’t want anyone messing around with his innocent sister. Ann
looks stunning in this smallish part – like a leggy colt unsure of herself
– and Meng Hoi gives a very appealing performance as a sensitive guy falling
in love with Ann, but not wanting to offend his friend. He soon learns though
that he may be dying from a kidney disease and this possibility leads to
some emotional resolutions.
The film has some good touch points, small scenes or moments that feel real
and have an emotional impact – Bonnie giving Leslie hell for taking advantage
of her friend, Loletta surprisingly being hugged by her mother rather than
scolded, Meng Hoi facing his mortality square in the face.
For those who track the career of Loletta Lee – and her short foray into
Cat III films – this is an intriguing missing piece to the puzzle. In most
of her early work for Cinema City and then her later family comedies with
D&B Loletta was the very picture of impish virginal innocence. Here though
in this fairly early film in her career, Loletta has a few fairly racy scenes
– one that involves water and no brassiere – and it gives hints of things
to come!
