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The
Odd One Dies |
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Year: |
1997 |
Takeshi Kaneshiro and Carman
Lee |
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Director: |
Patrick
Yau Tat-Chi |
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Producer: |
Johnnie
To Kei-Fung, Wai Ka-Fai |
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Cast: |
Takeshi
Kaneshiro, Carman Lee
Yuek-Tung |
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The
Skinny: |
A
quirky crime thriller that's surprising and even touching.
One of the more rewarding films out of Hong Kong in recent
memory. |
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Review
by Kozo: |
Atmospheric, slow-paced, and eminently compelling, this comedy/drama/thriller
from Johnnie To, Wai Ka-Fai and Patrick Yau is one of 1997’s
best movies. Takeshi Kaneshiro is a sullen hired killer who
contracts to kill a Thai gentleman in a week’s time. After
a fortunate run at cards, he changes his mind. Now he can
contract out; someone else will kill for him and he’ll take
a cut.
That someone turns out to be a poor,
emotionally-wounded Carman Lee. It seems she just got out
of jail for killing her cousin when she was fourteen. She
wants to re-contact the man who she killed for, so she uses
Takeshi to interact with him. Takeshi does so, but what happens
next goes beyond expectations. What begins as an ill-fated
partnership blossoms into a quirky, dark, and oddly touching
romance. The two lost souls find in each other a kindred spirit,
and their struggle for an ounce of self-respect is a triumph
of the unspoken.
Patrick Yau chooses to show rather
than tell, and the results show character development of a
quiet, affecting sort. The pacing and stark acting bring the
film closer to the realm of Wong Kar-Wai films than your typical
Hong Kong actioners. The title refers to the arrangement between
the two killers: only one of them will live, as one must carry
out the assassination. Sporting bad haircuts and dirty clothes,
Takeshi Kaneshiro and Carman Lee do small wonders with their
understated roles. This is a genuinely involving film and
the dark humor, quirky score, subdued narrative, and stylish
cinematography all shine. (Kozo 1997) |
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Availability: |
DVD
(Hong Kong)
Region 0 NTSC
Mei Ah Laser
Widescreen
Cantonese and Mandarin Language Tracks
Removable English and Chinese Subtitles |
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image courtesy
of Mei Ah Laser Disc Co., Ltd.
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Copyright ©2002-2017 Ross Chen
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