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Review
by Kozo: |
Offbeat and decidedly different, this talky thriller is a genuinely
enjoyable Hong Kong film with a moody star performance from Jacky
Cheung. He’s a down-and-out PI who tails a runaway girl from Mainland
China. Little does he know that she’s an ESP project from the state
and her absence is making the higher-ups mighty nervous. Problems
arise when she goes officially missing. Everything goes to hell
as everyone and their brother wants this girl, and is willing to
trash Jacky’s apartment, family, and life to find her.
Style-wise, the film is shot with an almost
art film-like quality, utilizing single camera set-ups, hand-held
camera, long takes, and moody lighting to get across the jaded world
of Jacky’s private eye. His performance is spare and perfect for
his “stiff-necked” character, and he’s aided by a spunky, obnoxious,
yet effective performance from newcomer Fan Hsiao-Shuan, who manages
to both steal or doom the picture (depending on your tolerance of
spunky ESP types). Kathy Chow turns in effective support as Jacky's
estranged wife.
You can tell a lot of thought went into
this motion picture. The comedy is deadpan and ironic, and director
Eddie Fong relies more on his actors than cutting or montage to
get his message across. The ultimate tone of the film is sardonic,
and the sly references to 1997 are funny too. However, when the
end rolls around, the filmmakers try to do too much in too little
time, with mixed results. The film manages to pack a sad AND a happy
ending in; such emotional dexterity only risks audience alienation.
Still, this is definitely a worthy watch for its cool style and
uncommon storytelling. (Kozo 1995/1997) |
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