Days of Being Wild - Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia

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Days of Being Wild is a 1990 Hong Kong drama film directed by Wong Kar-wai. The film stars some of the best-known actors and actresses in Hong Kong, including Leslie Cheung, Andy Lau, Maggie Cheung, Carina Lau, Jacky Cheung and Tony Leung Chiu-wai. Days of Being Wild also marks the first collaboration between Wong and cinematographer Christopher Doyle, with whom he has since made six more films.

Days of being wild yuddy dancing mambo

Plot details

The movie is set in Hong Kong and the Philippines in 1960–61. Yuddy or 'York' in English (Leslie Cheung), is a playboy in Hong Kong and is well known for stealing girls' hearts and breaking them. His first lover in the film is Li-zhen (Maggie Cheung), who suffers emotional and mental depression as a result of Yuddy's wayward attitude. Li-zhen eventually seeks much-needed solace from a sympathetic policeman named Tide (Andy Lau). Their near-romance is often hinted at but never materializes.

York's next romance is with a vivacious cabaret dancer whose stage name is Mimi (Carina Lau). Mimi is also loved by York's best friend, Zeb (Jacky Cheung). Unsurprisingly, York dumps her too and she begins a period of self-destruction. York initiates romantic relationships but refuses to commit to the relationship and is unwilling to make compromises. He is conflicted about his feelings about his adoptive mother, a former prostitute played by Rebecca Pan, and is obsessed about his biological mother, who he eventually discovers is a Filipino aristocrat.

Analysis

Almost entirely ignored on its original release, the film has gathered strong critical interest over time, and has a Metacritic score of 96%. Critics praise the film for its beauty and eroticism, though some do not discern a narrative arc that brings the pieces together.

Cast and roles

Leslie Cheung as Yuddy (旭仔 Yūkjái)

Andy Lau as Tide (超仔 Chīujái), Policeman 6117, who becomes a friend and confidant of Su Li-zhen and later, after the death of his mother, he becomes a sailor and goes to the Philippines

Maggie Cheung as Su Lizhen (苏丽珍 Sōu Laih-jān), who grew up in Macau and is the ex-girlfriend of Yuddy

Carina Lau as Leung Fung-ying, Mimi/Lulu, the girlfriend of Yuddy

Rebecca Pan as Rebecca, a former prostitute who raises Yuddy, has a love-and-hate relationship with Yuddy, because she refuses to reveal the identity of Yuddy's biological mother

Jacky Cheung as Zeb (歪仔 Wāaijái), Yuddy's friend since childhood; Yuddy used to live above Zeb's family's garage as a kid; Zeb fancies Mimi/Lulu

Danilo Antunes as Rebecca's lover, who only goes for her money

Hung Mei-mei as the Amah

Ling Ling-hung as Nurse

Tita Muñoz as Yuddy's Mother

Alicia Alonzo as Housekeeper

Elena Lim So as Hotel Manageress

Maritoni Fernandez as Hotel Maid

Angela Ponos as Prostitute

Nonong Talbo as Train Conductor

Tony Leung Chiu-wai as Gambler

Music

Los Indios Tabajaras, "Always In My Heart"

Xavier Cugat, "Perfidia"

Leslie Cheung performed the song 何去何從之阿飛正傳 loosely translated as 'Choice' or 'The True Story of Ah Fei' as the film's theme song and is also found in his album Beloved (寵愛).

梅豔芳 (Anita Mui) – 是這樣的 – the Cantonese cover of the theme song and is featured at the end of the film during the credits.

Box office

Days of Being Wild grossed HK $9,751,942 in its Hong Kong run, a number that would become typical for a Wong Kar Wai film. With the starry cast, this figure was considered a disappointment. Still, the film was successful enough to warrant a parody (The Days of Being Dumb, which also featured Tony Leung), and now routinely tops Hong Kong critics' lists of the best local productions.

References

Days of Being Wild Wikipedia

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