Manhattan Midnight (Thriller) (2001)
(AKA Dannys' Diary)

Director: Alfred Cheung
Cast: Richard Grieco, Maggie Q (starring), Michael Wong.

Synopsis: M (Richard Grieco) is a former Navy SEAL who now makes a living as an assassin-for-hire. A bizarre twist of fate see him trapped in a stalled elevator with Susan (Maggie Q), his latest target. Afflicted with claustrophobia, M experiences a panic attack, and is calmed by the gentle Susan. Something about her strikes a chord in the cold heart of this killer, but, ever the soldier;
he finally obeys orders, and executes his contract. As he makes his way through the streets of Manhattan, M is stunned to see Susan, apparently alive and well. This strange encounter sets in motion a dark love story with a bittersweet twist ending....

Q notes: 'This film marked a nice change for me, going from action to drama. Where 'Gen-Y Cops'was a physical challenge, this film was an emotional one. I actually cried when I first read the script. I got this role because of Jackie Chan. He was originally interested in playing M, and recommended me to Alfred to play the twins. In the end, they decided that Jackie playing an assassin was too much of a stretch, given his 'good guy'persona. By then, I'd tested for the part, and flew off to New York to make the film. Playing the two roles was such a challenge. I absolutely loved the script and I love Alfred. My first reaction was that I was so honored he would think that I could play this role, or, rather, roles. I can honestly say that it was 'Manhattan Midnight'that made me fall in love with acting, and for that reason alone it will always have a special place in my heart. It was then that I realize that acting wasn't only something I wanted to do, but something I have to do. I'm always asked about the long delay between the time we shot the film and the time of its release. Given the great response the film had when we screened it in Hawaii, and the award it won at the Philadelphia Film Festival, I can only say that the reasons must have been political rather than artistic. The other thing Id' like everyone to know is that when we were on location in New York, it was so cold! We were absolutely freezing!...


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