Review of Better Luck Tomorrow (2003) by Laurence H — 17 Aug 2006

Justin Lin puts a twist on the teen crime format in this, his directorial debut, but sadly it delivers little new-found character insight from its, somewhat rehashed proceedings. Ben Manibag (Parry Shen) is a model pupil, joined by an equally academic group of friends who regularly engage in extra-cirricular activities from volunteer work to intellectual competitions.

However, as intellect and prestige begins to spawn arrogance, the search for new transgressive thrills becomes a stimulating temptation. The group of friends become immersed in a world of drug dealing, fighting and gun-brandishing.

As the, once exciting, period of nihilism begins to fade, tensions and cracks between the friends begin to show. Lin does well with the constraints of a tired setup, injecting some kinetic camerawork and unpredictability.

He's let down by an amateurish, mainly Asian-American cast that does little to conjure up any energy in their respective roles. However, the denoument is genuinely tense and the ramifications of which are handled with a deft touch.