The Time You Need a Friend (Chinese: 笑匠; pinyin: Xiao jiang) is a 1985 Cantonese-language Hong Kong-Taiwanese comedy-drama film directed by John Woo.

[1] Reviewer Kenneth Brorsson of sogoodreviews.com wrote, "The Time You Need A Friend gives us a mix of Woo's comedy roots but with a touch of warmth and character that would make its into his action work subsequently.

[...] The film certainly largely is a loud comedy with drama inserted at appropriate moments and initiated viewers of Hong Kong cinema will know that these can very much be contrasting moods and frankly not workable because of it.

[...] So despite going on a lot of assumptions here regarding the originality and validity of John Woo's work on The Time You Need A Friend, you can't possibly neglect what he brings, which is a genuinely funny, endearing and suitably low-key heartfelt story about two grumpy old men coming to terms with their own past and facing the immediate future with a humanistic outlook.

Despite praise above, the film is never outstanding or a masterpiece but then again, it's hard to find any flaws, especially with the terrific and hilarious double act in actors Sun Yuet and David Tao at hand.

The show aims to raise money for the sick children, bringing the comedians' lives back into each other's orbit.