Search - Diary of a Big Man on DVD

Predictable Screwball Comedy

Steve Miller | 03/08/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"In something of a change of pace, action star Chow Yun Fat stars as a stock-broker who stumbles his way into marriage with two different women after he can't bring himself to break either's heart. With the help of a loyal friend, he attempts to balance both marriages, but eventually something has to give....This film takes all the expected twists and turns (well, except for the police standoff at the end), but it does it with a certain style and flair. The performances by Chow Yun Fat and Sally Yip are particularly fun to watch as the antics unfold.My only complaint is that the subtitles are... well, brittle. They are more difficult to read that the average ones, something which is frustrating in a film where the patter is flying fast and furious. On the up side, there aren't many examples of the bizarre literal translations that are so common in Hong Kong flicks. Another complaint is that the featured song in the film is subtitled in Cantonese but not in English.Despite these technical complaints, this is a fun little movie that's worth watching. (I think the purchase price might be a little steep, though.)"

Chow does comedy.

shamgaranath | Arlington, TX United States | 03/13/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Chow Yun Fat is my favorite actor. He has been in three movies in my top 20 of all-time favorites (The Killer, A Better Tomorrow & Te Replacement Killers). Those are without a doubt some of the greatest action movies ever made. So I welcomed the opportunity to watch a comedy movie by this same actor. It also paired Sally Yeh and Chow Yun Fat who had lit up the screen in The Killer.
Now, I am not a fan of movies I have to read, though some movies must have subtitles or it's just lost (Run, Lola, Run & La Femme Nikita). This movie you have to read. It's a funny, funny comedy. Our American world of comedy has been taken over by the world of American Pie and Bubble Boy, which must offend you in some way. This is a nice romantic comedy. And for a movie about bigamy, it is relatively clean. If your date doesn't mind reading for an hour and a half, this is a pretty good date movie. So if you've never seen a Hong Kong comedy, this is a good one to start with."