Stars and Roses

1989 1h 40m CN

🙌

7.6

BANGER

★7.6TMDB · 7

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Hong Kong photo-journalist Lau and Vietnamese translator Yuen Hung become friends when Lau is arrested for a traffic accident. Yuen wants Lau to find out the whereabouts of her brother. Lau is later thrown into prison again due to being mistakenly as a demonstrator and sentenced to three years of hard labor. With help of Yuen, Lau and Yuen's brother escape to China but Yuen's brother is killed on the way. Lau flees to freedom. Yuen cannot go to China and Lau has to let her go...

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Cast

Andy Lau
Liou Chi Tsu
Cherie Chung Cho-Hung
Yuan Hong
Shing Fui-On
Chen Fei Ehn
Sheila Chan Suk-Lan
Tsu's girlfriend
Christopher Wong
Lung Ming-Yan
Ah Nan
David Lam Wai
Hong's boyfriend
Wai Gei-Shun

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Taylor Wong Tai-Loi
Writers: Ko Chun-Wai
Languages: Mandarin, Vietnamese, Cantonese
Countries: Hong Kong

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

37 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Mandarin, Vietnamese, Cantonese.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

AWARDS

Did you know

Directed by Taylor Wong Tai-Loi, shot by Herman Yau. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Lo Ta-Yu. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Andy Lau and Cherie Chung Cho-Hung and Shing Fui-On carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0099002 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 7 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Taylor Wong Tai-Loi directs. Herman Yau behind the camera. Lo Ta-Yu scores. Produced in Hong Kong. Dialogue in Mandarin, Vietnamese, Cantonese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

137 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Mandarin, Vietnamese, Cantonese.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Taylor Wong Tai-Loi, shot by Herman Yau. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Lo Ta-Yu. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Andy Lau and Cherie Chung Cho-Hung and Shing Fui-On carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0099002 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 7 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.