Loving You (無味神探). 1995. Hong Kong. Directed by Johnnie To. With Lau Ching-wan, Carman Lee, Tuo Tsung-hua. Digital. © Licensed by Celestial Pictures Limited. All rights reserved. In Cantonese; English subtitles. 84 min.
Loving You is a significant turning point in Johnnie To’s career, marking his return from a one-year hiatus to reflect on his role and vision as a director—an unusual pause for any talent working during the golden era of Hong Kong cinema—and his signature style begins to emerge in this unique blend of crime, action, and personal drama. The charismatic Lau Ching-wan, who would later become one of To’s favorite leading men in such classics as Lifeline (1997), Running Out of Time (1999), and Mad Detective (2007), portrays a gutsy detective and lousy husband who is on the verge of domestic meltdown while tracking down a relentless criminal. Equally tough and vulnerable, righteous and unconscionable, this antihero finds one final opportunity for redemption in an explosive showdown at an abandoned television studio.