Conman In Tokyo

Variations on the same theme, different players - perhaps an indication of how incestuous and circular HK cinema can be.

$$ID=Ching Siu Tung$$, director of the acclaimed period fantasy series "&&ID=V1005||Name=A Chinese Ghost Story&&" takes the helm in this installment of $$ID=Wong Jing$$'s "&&ID=V1407||Name=Conman&&" series, itself a spin-off from the "&&ID=V1178||Name=God Of Gamblers&&" franchise. HK cinema's current heartthrob (and Wong's latest protege) $$ID=Louis Koo$$ steps into the shoes previously filled by the likes of $$ID=Chow Yun Fat$$, $$ID=Andy Lau$$ and $$ID=Leon Lai$$. In keeping with his customary onscreen cool and brooding rebel-with-a-cause persona, Koo plays Cool (pun fully intended) - a skilled gambler, betrayed by his evil brother-in-arms (a typecast Lam Kwok Ting), deprived of his true love Karen ($$ID=Athena Chu$$) and forced into seclusion, only to be forced out of retirement to pit his skills against long time adversary, Japan's King of Gamblers. $$ID=Nick Cheung Kar Fai$$ prov