The Time You Need a Friend
笑匠
Synopsis
John Woo's melodramatic tragicomedy The Time You Need a Friend (1985) stands at the crucial crossroads in the director's career. Woo had been churning out innocuous comedies for more than a few years, and after establishing the "heroic bloodshed" genre, he'd never look back. But this tale of two comedians - estranged former pals who bury the hatchet for one last show together - blends the pathos and male-bonding of Woo's later dramas with the silliness and pratfalls that marked his early works. At their peak, Ku Ren and Shem Bien were an unstoppable screen comedy team, the undisputed stars of the silent era. But a major falling out has kept the duo offstage for decades. Despite the urgings of family and friends, Ku and Shem refuse to reconcile. As both men approach their twilight years, one last chance for a reunion presents itself in the form of a televised charity benefit. Ku Ren and Shem Bien struggle to come to terms with years of bitterness, and bring the house down once again.
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Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- John Woo
- Original Title
- 笑匠
- Country of Origin
- Hong Kong, Taiwan
- Spoken Languages
- Mandarin
- Runtime
- 1h 31m
- Production Studios
- Cinema City Company Limited
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
John Woo
Chow Yip-Hing, Yeh Ching-Piao
Eric Tsang Chi-Wai, Raymond Wong
Department Leadership Roster
John Woo
Director
Chow Yip-Hing
Director of Photography
Yeh Ching-Piao
Director of Photography
Eric Tsang Chi-Wai
Producer
Raymond Wong
Producer
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Time You Need a Friend.
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John Woo
Films directed by John Woo, Hong Kong and Hollywood.
Hong Kong Cinema
Hong Kong films (Chinese-language, country=HK) enumerated from Wikidata, verified against TMDb. Excludes Western co-productions.
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Time You Need a Friend
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Time You Need a Friend about?
John Woo's melodramatic tragicomedy The Time You Need a Friend (1985) stands at the crucial crossroads in the director's career. Woo had been churning out innocuous comedies for more than a few years, and after establishing the "heroic bloodshed" genre, he'd never look back. But this tale of two comedians - estranged former pals who bury the hatchet for one last show together - blends the pathos and male-bonding of Woo's later dramas with the silliness and pratfalls that marked his early works. At their peak, Ku Ren and Shem Bien were an unstoppable screen comedy team, the undisputed stars of the silent era. But a major falling out has kept the duo offstage for decades. Despite the urgings of family and friends, Ku and Shem refuse to reconcile. As both men approach their twilight years, one last chance for a reunion presents itself in the form of a televised charity benefit. Ku Ren and Shem Bien struggle to come to terms with years of bitterness, and bring the house down once again.
Who directed The Time You Need a Friend?
The Time You Need a Friend was directed by John Woo.
Who stars in The Time You Need a Friend?
The principal cast of The Time You Need a Friend includes Sun Yueh, David Tao, Linda Jui-Chi Liu, Hsiao Hou Tao, Kuan Kuan.
When was The Time You Need a Friend released and how long is it?
The Time You Need a Friend was released in 1984 with a total runtime of 1h 31m.