By Mark Hockley
Actor Nick Cheung directs, co-writes and stars in this Hong Kong production.
Chun-Him Lau plays psychiatrist Dr Man who treats Choi (Cheung), a patient no longer able to distinguish dreams from reality. What ensues is a convoluted, at times eye-catching exploration of repressed emotions and damaged minds.
Dr Man’s investigation into the reasons behind Choi’s unstable condition reawaken his own traumatic history. This is really a psychological drama, dressed up with lots of flashy, disconcerting images.
The onslaught of nightmarish visions, either from the past or within dream scenarios are striking, but gradually lose impact as the story unfolds.
The acting is perfectly fine, the subtitled version I saw not diminishing the performances. The song Peg O’My Heart gives the film its title and a romantic subplot is underscored by this old melody.
Unfortunately, despite the imaginative staging of the dream sequences, eventually it becomes somewhat lacklustre. My appreciation of the style was undermined by the overall content.
It would appear, on the strength of this film, Cheung as a director needs to find a script that will better support his visual flourishes.
Peg O’ My Heart is available on VOD platforms.
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