Dr. Mack (1995) [Film Review]

Dr. Mack; or, Community Values
     There is no completely rational and unselfish doctor because we are all human. Let me show you the way.
Little do some cinema connoisseurs know Tony Leung Chiu-wai is such a versatile actor that he could even do stupid comedies back in the day. Dr. Mack (also released under alternative title Mack the Knife) is an excellent example of such a flick. Let’s explore together Tony’s personal take on House M.D. type of persona, inspired by a comic book series made by Sho Fumimura and Takumi Nagayasu.

Release Info

Directed by: Lee Chi Ngai Starring: Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Alex To, Andy Hui, Christy Chung

Language: Cantonese Original Title: 流氓醫生 Runtime: 98 min

Synopsis
Lau Mack (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) is a doctor who runs his practice in a working-class neighbourhood in Hong Kong, treating prostitutes, the elderly, and underprivileged. However he has a brilliant mind and exceptional medical skills. Because he obtained his licence in Africa, he is unable to work at a proper hospital, but still he always helps out his colleague Roger Law (Alex To) whenever there is a tough medical case. Nevertheless, Law secretly despises Lau and goes out of his way to revoke his licence…

Tony Leung in the House
If you expect to see a bitter, nihilistic Tony limping away and high on Vicodin, then better hold your horses. Tony’s Dr. Mack character is as genius and outspoken as House M.D. but this is where the similarities end. Mack remains devoted to his profession, even to such an extent that he rushes into action when clearly someone else (see Law) is at fault and unable to treat a patient in need.

In spite of this running theme, it is hard to call Mack a central character of the story. The movie rather focuses on the people Mack interacts with and how he inspires them to better themselves in their lives. If anything, the film’s proper title ought to be “Community” because Mack’s neighbourhood friends: a rookie doctor (Andy Hui), a high-school student (Gigi Leung), a clumsy cop (Sean Lau), an ailing prostitute (Eileen Tung) take the center stage.

Still, it is a darn fun seeing Tony in a light-hearted mode cracking jokes, charming an elegant lady (Christy Chung), and doing the right thing at the same time. Alex To is a great addition as Law, but I would not call his character a total baddie. The supporting actor who really shines on the screen is Andy Hui as Dr. So, his subplot could be the basis for a separate hardcore drama movie. I also appreciate a small but funny part done by the legendary Richard Ng.

An additional word on the official theatrical poster: Don’t let the cover artwork fool you. On the basis of the image alone, you may think that Dr. Mack is a kinky CAT-III flick, but it is not. The only scene that comes closest to the NSFW label is the opening sequence. The rest of the film is very mild, even to such an extent that details of hospital operations are not shown at all.

Recommendations
If you are looking for not-so-serious endeavours from Tony Leung Chiu-wai, then I recommend Dr. Mack. The only disadvantage is a dated English translation from Laserdisc times, which is most certainly not 100% accurate and puts you out of context at times.Overall score: 7/10

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