Lost and Found (1996)

Director: Lee Chi-Ngai

Writer: Lee Chi-Ngai

Producer: Raymond Chow, Lee Chi-Ngai, Eric Tsang

Cast: Takeshi Kaneshiro, Kelly Chan Wai-Lam, Michael Wong Mun-Tak, Cheung Tat-Ming, Hilary Tsui Ho-Ying, Josie Ho Chiu-Yee, Henry Fong Ping, Moses Chan Ho, Jordan Chan Siu-Chun, Maria Cordero 

Running Time: 110 min.

Plot: See review below.

Availability: This title is available at HKflix.com

RAGING GAIJIN'S  REVIEW: Lee Chi-Ngai has found himself a comfortable niche in Hong Kong crafting subtle and quirky character-driven pieces like "Doctor Mack" and "Sleepless Town". For an idea of his style, think "Ghost World" as directed by Wong Kar-Wai. His films are often about eccentric individuals who mask their own pain through altruistic acts. This 1996 film starring Takeshi Kaneshiro , Kelly Chan, and Michael Wong is no different. 

Unfortunately, Lee Chi-Ngai fumbles where he has succeeded in the past. "Lost and Found" is a Hong Kong classic that could have, SHOULD have been. I know that HK fans like to joke about Michael Wong and say that he ruins whatever movie he's in, but it has never been more accurate than in "Lost and Found". While he is admittedly wooden and flat in just about everything, Wong usually only plays a supporting role so his presence doesn't sink or swim the movies he's in. But for some reason, Lee Chi-Ngai decides to lavish Wong with screen time in "Lost and Found". He seems to be in the film more than Takeshi Kaneshiro, even though Takeshi receives top billing. Why you would sideline a talented and charismatic (not to mention international) star like Takeshi for a no-talent wannabe like Wong is beyond me. It goes without saying that this proves to be the film's downfall. 

The story concerns Kelly Chan's character, who has just been diagnosed with leukemia... and has only a 30% chance of survival. Soon thereafter she meets a Scottish sailor played by Michael Wong. There is an instant attraction but Chan is afraid of commitment and keeps him at a distance. Before she knows it, Wong has vanished without a trace on a sea voyage. Fortunately for her she runs into a character named That Worm AKA Mr. Lost and Found, played by Takeshi Kaneshiro. It's his specialty, and profession, to find anything that is lost. From wallets to missing family members, you name it and he'll track it down for a price. Chan hires Takeshi to find Wong but their search draws her closer to Takeshi than she could have imagined. 

First, the good parts: Takeshi Kaneshiro nails his role completely. Much like the loveable and aloof individuals he played in "Chunking Express" and "Fallen Angels", Mr. Lost and Found is one of the most endearing characters in the history of Hong Kong cinema. He's a compassionate and tenacious young man who involves himself in the affairs of others so that he doesn't have to confront the loneliness of his own life. The poignant quality of the character is driven home by Takeshi's natural screen presence and charm. 

But Takeshi's memorable role is also what makes the film so frustrating... because he's simply not in it enough! For reasons beyond me, "Lost and Found" spends a good 40-50 minutes of its running time focusing on Kelly Chan and Michael Wong's relationship. It's maddening that Lee Chi-Ngai has Takeshi Kaneshiro in one of his finest roles but instead chooses to focus on Michael Wong. I don't know what he was thinking, perhaps there was a scheduling conflict, but it completely ruins the movie. And while Kelly Chan is a decent actress, she just doesn't have what it takes to playa the dramatic role of a fatally-ill woman. 

To give you some perspective on the film: in the first ten minutes, we're introduced to Kelly Chan and Takeshi Kaneshiro, as well as Takeshi's job. Chan explains her case to Takeshi, which involves a thirty minute flashback to her first meeting with Wong. Once that is *finally* over with, we get to the heart of the film, in which Takeshi and Chan bond while trying to find Wong. They also later get involved in the case of a young girl whose mother is deathly ill. This segment, about fifty minutes, is easily the best part of the movie. It's genuinely tragic and moving without ever becoming sappy. The film never resorts to maudlin emotions or heavy-handed themes. It's low-key but effective and Takeshi Kaneshiro is the resounding heart of the film. But then Lee Chi-Ngai ruins it once again by including *another* 15-20 minute segment where Takeshi is forgotten in favor of Wong! 

You can tell that there's a great movie buried somewhere in "Lost and Found" but it never gets the chance to reach the surface. Every time it starts to get good, Michael Wong pops up and starts annoyingly switching back and forth between speaking Cantonese and English. And in a scene that is clearly a disgrace to Scottish people everywhere, Wong wears a kilt and plays the bag-pipes! I sincerely wish Lee Chi-Ngai had done some last minute changes in the editing room, perhaps cutting at least 20 minutes of Wong and adding more of Takeshi. As it is, "Lost and Found" is a flawed masterpiece. 

It's really a shame. Takeshi Kaneshiro as Mr. Lost and Found is one of the most humane and poignant characters to ever appear in a HK movie. He speaks to the profound need for hope that is in all of us; the need to believe that no matter how lost something may be there is always a chance to recover it. I wish that Mr. Lost and Found could have starred in a film worthy of his character but, alas, it is not to be. I'm giving the film a neutral score of 5.5; round up if you're a fan of Takeshi Kaneshiro. 

RAGING GAIJIN'S RATING: 5.5/10