As Tears Go By (1988), known in Cantonese as Wonggok Kaamun, marks the stunning directorial debut of acclaimed filmmaker Wong Kar-wai. This Hong Kong crime drama introduces the visual poetry and thematic depth that would become Wong's signature, following mid-level gangster Wah (Andy Lau) as he navigates the conflicting demands of loyalty and love. Wah's life is torn between his volatile, trouble-prone friend and partner Fly (Jacky Cheung), whom he feels compelled to protect in the brutal triad underworld, and his growing, tender affection for his beautiful cousin Ngor (Maggie Cheung) who arrives from Lantau Island.

The film masterfully contrasts the gritty, neon-lit violence of the Hong Kong streets with intimate moments of potential escape and connection. Andy Lau delivers a compelling performance as the weary Wah, embodying a man trapped by his codes of honor, while Maggie Cheung brings a luminous, quiet strength to her role that foreshadows her iconic collaborations with Wong. Jacky Cheung's Fly provides both chaotic energy and tragic pathos.

While not as formally experimental as Wong's later works, As Tears Go By establishes his core themes of time, memory, and doomed romance against a kinetic crime backdrop. The cinematography by Andrew Lau captures the humid, electric atmosphere of late-80s Hong Kong. Viewers should watch this film not only as a solid, emotionally charged crime drama in its own right but as the fascinating genesis of a cinematic master's career, showcasing the raw ingredients he would later refine into masterpieces like Chungking Express and In the Mood for Love.