A Hong Kong-based actor made his fortune in the film industry globally. He is a renowned figure who has appeared in various films. He worked on Romance, comedy, and action movies. This actor is Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, “the small tiger.” He is one of the greatest actors from Asia of all time. The love of his fans has reciprocated his passion for his work. He has also won and was nominated for several international awards. Celebrating his career, this article will cover the 10 best Tony Leung Chiu-Wai movies till now.
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10 Best Tony Leung Chiu-wai Movies
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In the Mood for Love
Director: Kar-Wai Wong
Writers: Kar-Wai Wong
Stars: Tony Chiu-Wai Leung, Maggie Cheung, Siu Ping-Lam
Genres: Drama, Romance
When talking of Leung Chiu-Wai, you must take advantage of this one. In 1962, a journalist named Chow Mo-wan, played by Tony Leung Chiu, moves to an apartment in Hong Kong with his wife. Due to the busy schedule, his wife, lonely Chow, befriends a lady next door named Su.
Working as a secretary at a shipping company, Su also yearns for love and happiness in her marriage, but her spouse keeps travelling too. The two lonely friends grow closer when they know their spouses are having an affair. Falling in the mood of love, they try to protect their dignity by not stooping low like their deceitful partners.
This movie has everything a viewer can ask for. Without any physical intimacy, there is enough sparking romance. The music, cinematography and acting are beyond perfect. The movie plot progresses slowly, but it keeps you invested. The expressions convey everything without a word being said. Indeed it is an artwork of Leung Chiu and Wong Kar Wai.
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Flowers of Shanghai
Director: Hsiao-Hsien Hou
Writers: Bangqing Han, Eileen Chang, T’ien-wen Chu
Stars: Tony Chiu-Wai Leung, Michiko Hada, Michelle Reis
Genres: Drama
The most beautiful world could be more attractive. That is the case with the Shanghai brothel. By the turn of the nineteenth century, men visited the flower girls for leisure. The glamour and glory of brothels drown in the patriarchal privilege of “good” men. Love, jealousy, money, power and distrust play equal parts in the life of the flowers of Shanghai.
If you love a classic movie, it will feed your soul. It takes you back to the 1800s when men had it all for fun. The cinematography, low lighting and plot are beautiful. The story unfolds with such grace that you never lose the connection.
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The little elements like an emphasis on men depict the power men had in the patriarchal set-up, the sadness and rage, the short-lived glory days of a flower girl and much more add so much finesse. Tony Leung succeeded in delivering a strong and influential performance. The “negative” role he played had left a positive impact indeed.
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Infernal Affairs
Director: Andrew LauAlan Mak
Writers: Alan MakFelix Chong
Stars: Andy Lau, Tony Chiu-Wai Leung, Anthony Chau-Sang Wong
Genres: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
It is a 2002 Hong Kong action thriller film. This movie follows an undercover Police superintendent Wong sends his best police cadet Chan wing-Yan( Leung Chiu-wai), as an undercover cop to spy on a triad. Meanwhile, triad leader Hon sends his undercover agent into the police department, hoping for confidential details. Unaware of the undercover agents in both agencies, a decade passes by. Getting used to the pretentious lives, the long-term moles are soon hit by the bomb of fate. The battle of life and death begins.
To begin with, the movie’s run time is too short, and interestingly it is the best part. Without being overdramatic, the grip of the characters is strong throughout the movie. The plot moves at a fast pace with spine-chilling action. Somewhat intense with a rollercoaster of emotions, the top-tier acting of Tony Leung adds life to the movie. The feel is so natural that characters are not being played but lived. Despite being R rated, there is no overwhelming bloodshed or nudity. If you are watching it after “the departed”, you will not be disappointed.
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Chungking Express
Director: Kar-Wai Wong
Writers: Kar-Wai Wong
Stars: Brigitte Lin, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Tony Chiu-Wai Leung
Genres: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Romance
In this movie, two Hong Kong policemen get a taste of heartbreak and love. With two stories being told in sequence, the first runs around He Qiwu, cop 223. A cop who was given a not-so-pleasant April fools’ day gift by his girlfriend named May, got dumped. Buying a tin of pineapple expiring on May 1, he hopes to reconcile with his love by the date or his love expires too. Dealing with the heartbreak, he runs into a mysterious blonde drug dealer.
The second half takes us on a tour of the life of another heartbroken officer, cop 663(Tony Leung). His life soon takes a spin when Faye sneaks into his apartment, sliding into his life to light up his world.
It is one of those movies that instantly connects. The uncertainty of life is its real beauty, and the movie captures it perfectly. The acting, vivid colours, a fluctuating graph of emotions, and romance with a bit of comedy and heartbreak couldn’t get any better.
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2046
Director: Kar-Wai Wong
Writers: Kar-Wai Wong
Stars: Tony Chiu-Wai Leung, Ziyi Zhang, Faye Wong
Genres: Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
A womanizer sci-fi writer, Chow mo wan has affairs with multiple women to forget his only true love. Forging the experiences into inspiration, the writer delivers a train journey where one can live his memories. A face of the future with a blend of the past, a place from where no one can return. This is a loose sequel to the movies “in the mood for love” and “days of being wild,” making a spot in the love trilogy of Wong Kar Wai.
Science fiction and romantic drama are a deadly combination backed by strong emotions, lust, and love. The iconic duo of Wong Kar wai and tony Leung delivered yet another masterpiece. The only problem a casual viewer may face is the number of references, as it needs to be more standalone.
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Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
Writers: Dave Callaham, Destin Daniel Cretton, Andrew Lanham
Stars: Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Tony Chiu-Wai Leung
Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
After escaping the ten-ring organisation, martial artist Shang Chi lives peacefully away from his father, Xu Wenwu(Tony Leung). The peace is disrupted for a while when the immortal and super powerful ten-ring holder Xu’s organization attacks him.
This movie has got Tony all the name and fame he deserves. For his incredible performance as a “villain” or “not such a villain maybe”, he successfully dodges the stereotypical image of fathers portrayed in Hollywood. Besides Leung’s performance, the fight scenes are perfectly timed and choreographed. The plot for the introduction of a new hero by Marvel steals the show.
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Cyclo
Director: Anh Hung Tran
Writers: Anh Hung Tran
Stars: Le Van Loc, Tony Chiu-Wai Leung, Nu Yên-Khê Tran
Genres: Crime, Drama
Struggling, caught under a vicious circle of poverty, an eighteen-year-old young cyclo/ bicycle taxi driver ends up in a deadlock when his vehicle is stolen. Burdened by debt, hopelessly on the streets of Ho Chi Minh City, he falls on the path of crime. Unaware of the crime boss(Tony Leung) being his sister’s pimp, the young boy takes up jobs from him.
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Picking up another morally grey character, Tony Leung portrays his mastery. The power of this strong plot radiates the impact of helplessness and the wrong society on innocent people. Although the cinematic masterpiece is well carried throughout, the violence may be difficult to watch. The story is emotionally jolting the soul with the outstanding performance delivered by the cast.
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Hard Boiled
Director: John Woo
Writers: John Woo, Barry Wong, Gordon Chan
Stars: Chow Yun-Fat, Tony Chiu-Wai Leung, Teresa Mo
Genres: Action, Crime, Thriller
In a shootout with gun smugglers, a cop loses his wife. He is on a mission to find those who killed his partner. Looking for revenge, he teams up with an undercover agent, Alan (Tony Leung), a gangster, to find the smugglers and shoot down their triad.
John Woo and Tony Leung together gave the best thriller action movie. Even though it was released in 1992, it is still competent or far better than what movies offer today. Much to one’s surprise, it is not just a cop vs criminal movie but much more. The pace is perfect, and the film sails throughout without dropping the action at any point.
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Happy Together
Director: Kar-Wai Wong
Writers: Manuel Puig, Kar-Wai Wong
Stars: Leslie Cheung, Tony Chiu-Wai Leung, Chang Chen
Genres: Drama, Romance
In this movie, Lai Yiu-Fai(Tony Leung) and his boyfriend, Ho Po-Wing, move to Argentina for a better future, escaping the uncertain future in Hong Kong. Their love is challenged by jealousy and toxicity, making them fall apart and reconcile time and over again. The couple who came to live together falls on different paths, all alone.
Celebrating LGBTQ romance, this movie delivers grace and ease that warms the heart but is devastating too. Wong Kar wai has played the most significant part in driving Tony to his full potential. Talking of how beautifully the colors have been played with, monochrome and bold colors to express emotions, nothing less than art. The camera work is at par with the performance delivered by the leads. The music and society blend in so well with the tail that it seems like icing on the cake.
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A City of Sadness
Director: Hsiao-Hsien Hou
Writers: T’ien-wen ChuNien-Jen Wu
Stars: Tony Chiu-Wai Leung, Shu-Fen Hsin, Sung-Young Chen
Genres: Drama, History
After the end of 50 years of colonial rule of Japan in Taiwan, joy is in the air. But this joy is short-lived as the Chinese Kuomintang government makes the lives of the natives miserable. One such tale of misery is the life of the Lin family. Wen-Heung, the oldest brother and a bar owner, adapts to the post-war life but succumbs to local gangsters. Wen-sun disappears. The third Lin brother, Wen-Leung, is set up falsely, ending up in prison and later mental asylum. The youngest of all, Wen-Ching( Tony Leung), is a deaf person and photographer by profession who bravely resist the Kuomintang government’s suppression and torture.
Some films hit the spot perfectly. Tony Leung is a talented artist, but this performance is excellent. Being deaf and mute, Leung grabs enough sympathy and delivers without uttering a word. The emotions radiate strongly. Since personal experiences and historical events drive the movie, the impact and output are more significant than purely fictional.
