Before a salvo of angry e-mails come my way, I will preface this review by saying that I can and do enjoy Hong Kong's artier fare, such as the films of Wong Kar-Wai, or even some of Stanley Kwan's other releases like Center Stage. Judging from other reviews posted on the internet, Hold You Tight seems to be an extremely polarizing cinematic experience: either you're going to love it or hate it.

This particular reviewer fell squarely into the "hated it" camp. At many points self-indulgent, pretentious, confusing, and leadenly paced overall, Hold You Tight is a prime example of why many people don't like "arthouse" movies. If you're a major Chingmy Yau fan and want to check out her swan song in the Hong Kong film world, you'd better bring along a bottle of extra strength No-Doz for the ride.

Many of the things other reviewers seemed to love about this film, namely the unconventional story structure, lost me early on. It very well have been a case of me not giving Hold You Tight a fair chance, or even being in the right mood to watch it in the first place, but frankly, by the half-hour mark, I was more than ready for the movie to be over. Yes, love sucks and often leaves you hurt, no matter if you're gay or straight. We get it.

I did enjoy a few elements of Hold You Tight, most notably Eric Tsang's work. To many people, myself included, he can be quite annoying in comedic roles. However, Tsang is actually capable of being a good dramatic actor, as evidenced here, where he brings some much needed good heartedness and levity into a movie that is oftentimes much too dour for its' own good.

RATING: 3.5