Once a Thief (4K Restored Version)

Once a Thief is a heist action-comedy starring three of the biggest stars in the 90s—Chow Yun-fat, Leslie Cheung and Cherie Chung—as a trio of art thieves whose mission to steal Modigliani's painting goes awry when they're double-crossed by their crime boss.

A mixture of action, comedy and romance packed in one, the film isn't short of John Woo's trademark shoot-outs and bromance elements, while blending in co-writer Clifton Ko Chi-sum's slapstick humour. It's the first production under Milestone Pictures—co-founded by Woo, Terence Chang and Linda Kuk—rolled out as a Lunar New Year popcorn blockbuster. Cheung not only brings a ton of dimension to his character, but also shows off his agility as he performs most of his own stunts in Woo's highly stylised action sequences. His chemistry with his co-stars is palpable, as their characters are entangled in heart-tugging friendship-brotherhood and love triangle. But overall, it's a rather light-hearted caper that is extremely fun to watch.

Date	Time	Venue
11/11/2023 (Sat) # [Full House]	5:30pm	Cinema, Hong Kong Film Archive
10/9/2023 (Sun) [Additional Screening] [Full House]	4:00pm	Cinema, Hong Kong Film Archive
10/9/2023 (Sun) [Additional Screening] [Full House]	7:30pm	Cinema, Hong Kong Film Archive

# Post-screening talk with Poon Hang-sang & Janice Chow

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