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Written by Pat Pilon
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Tuesday, 27 February 2007 22:47 |
R0 Hong Kong
Mega Star
Movie
The first scene in the movie is tense. Director Johnnie To, with no dialogue, no flash and no plot, in the very first scene sets up a standoff that got my heart pumping, even though I didn't know anything about what was going on. Not everybody can do that. In fact, just about nobody can do that. The movie is a semi-spinoff of the movie that really go Johnnie To noticed internationally, 'The Mission' and follows a group of five guys over 24 ridiculously bad hours. Basically, (taking place in Macau!) Triad boss Simon Yam wants to kill Nick Cheung for reasons that become evident as the movie moves along.
This is somewhat a return in style to 'The Mission', staying pretty minimalist, with bits of action interspersed through the movie, where the characters are the focus. The camaraderie between these guys becomes evident pretty early on in the movie. These guys know each other and they've worked together before. The last scene brings this together in a perfect way, finishing the movie in a tour-de-force of editing and directing. (I'm talking about the characters but now that I think of it, I may as well be talking about the actors as well.)
The camera movements and the score are reminiscent of 'The Mission' as well, recalling the way Mr. To used to shoot his movies, with vast crane movement and slow pans and dolly shots. The score, by Guy Zerafa (who previously worked with Johnnie To on 'Fulltime Killer'), recalls a western movie, with its slow pace and relaxed atmosphere.
When the action starts up, it's exquisite. The tension in many scenes is so high, you could cut it with a knife. Johnnie To takes bad situations and makes them worse, playing with the audience, almost teasing the viewer, asking you 'will it happen?'. The action rests on a solid foundation started by the characters. Again, the last scene is like this. Smiling, our heroes take out their guns. The way these scenes are shot is amazing. It reminded me of 'Throw Down', where movement is smooth and more important than gunfire. The shootout, for example, in the apartment/hospital, is a joy to watch. Shot in slow-motion, Johnnie To extracts every ounce of entertainment value, every ounce of aesthetic value from the scene. I wanted more. A lot more.
Also like in 'The Mission', Francis Ng, Anthony Wong, Lam Suet and Roy Cheung make up the core group of gangsters. They're all distinct and they're so cool together. Anthony Wong is an experienced veteran and handles his role very well. Likewise, Francis Ng knows how to be the leader of the group, while Lam Suet and Roy Cheung bring their own personality to round out the characters. You definitely like these guys.
I could go on, talking about the setting (Macau, known for its gangster activities, 1998, the year before Portugal gave it back to China, and the year right after China gained control over Hong Kong), the characters (the prostitute at the end of the movie, for example, and the cop), the coin (among other things, a nice little nod reminding me of Lam Suet in 'Running Out of Time 2'), but I'll leave these things for you. I'm not here to deconstruct the movie. I just enjoyed it. Johnnie To once again crafted a terrific tale, nothing more.
The DVD
The limited edition contains a calendar/diary in a nicely-sized box. The movie also restores a few seconds of footage removed from the theatrical version, restoring a handshake the Hong Kong censors believed to be a Triad handshake, meaning it would have a Category III rating. Thus, the DVD is Category III.
Video
2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. Like other Johnnie To movies, the picture is superb. There aren't any specks or scratches or any other print defect. The colours are amazing. The sepia filters used in the movie come out quite bright and with great contrast. Many scenes are dark, with only one or two things in the frame, and the transfer shows no signs of struggle, except in a few small (hard to do) scenes. There aren't any signs of digital work, such as edge enhancement. The picture is clear and clean throughout the movie and replicates the director's vision perfectly.
Audio
I listened to the DTS-ES track and was quite satisfied. The dialogue is all clear, as are all the gunshots, screams and other little sounds. With the score using up all the speakers, you'd be hard pressed to find on part of the audio presentation that's lacking. The gunfights are dynamic, while still staying realistic. The sub kicks in for these sequences. The positions of the events are accurate. The movie isn't always action-packed, and the quieter moments are very intimate. Another great track for a movie where sound is very important. The movie comes in a Cantonese DTS-ES track, a Cantonese Dolby 5.1 EX track and a Mandarin Dolby 5.1 EX track, with English, Traditional Chinese or Simplified Chinese subtitles.
Extras
Unfortunately, this isn't like 'Election' DVDs. To start off with, you have two Trailers (2:19 and 1:43, anamorphic, no less!). These are more teasers than trailers. You see bits and pieces of the shootouts, with bits of piece of the characters. They're great trailers.
There are two kinds of making ofs. Let me explain. There's a Making Of, which is 12 minutes long. It's basically an EPK (with only Chinese subtitles). You have some nice behind the scenes shots, which is nice, but nothing exceptional. Next is a Making Of (Short Version), which is actually longer, at 14 minutes. It's actually 7, two-minute clips, much of which is repeated from the first making-of.
Lastly is Behind the Scenes (6:20), which is pretty self explanatory. It's very nice, though a bit short. You see all the actors on set, shooting guns or goofing off. It's really nice.
OVERALL
Once again, Johnnie To releases a great movie. The cinematography is amazing and the music is great. The action is artfully shot and the acting is great. The director crafts a great story, which should appeal to everybody enjoying Hong Kong movies. The DVD package is nice, offering a great picture and a great DTS track. The extras are a bit on the slim side, and a pretty disappointing, but if you have the LE, at least you'll get a few collectibles.
Movie - A-
Video - B+
Audio - A-
Extras - C-
Overall - B+
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