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The
Corruptor |
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review | notes | availability | |
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Chow Yun-Fat gives us the finger in The Corruptor. |
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Year: |
1999 |
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Director: |
James
Foley |
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Producer: |
Dan
Halsted, Oliver Stone, Terence Chang |
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Cast: |
Chow
Yun-Fat, Mark Wahlberg, Ric Young, Paul Ben-Victor,
Marie Matiko, Jon Kit Lee, Byron Mann, Kim Chan, Brian
Cox |
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The
Skinny: |
Chow-Yun Fat and Mark Wahlberg hit the mean streets
of New York's Chinatown in this underrated crime drama
from Glengarry Glen Ross director James Foley. |
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Review by
Calvin
McMillin: |
On the outside, Detective
Nick Chen (Chow Yun-Fat) is a virtual poster boy for
both the NYPD and the Asian American community: good
looking, smart, and a damn fine police officer. But
underneath his winning veneer lies a dirty, little secret.
It seems that Nick's success came with a price—he's
actually on the take from local triads and has been
for years. Of course, Nick started out on the force
with the best of intentions, but when he couldn't make
any real headway in the chaotic morass known as Chinatown,
he befriended Uncle Benny (Kim Chan), a small-time hood
turned underworld kingpin. It's a winning combination
for the two; Nick looks out for Benny's interests, and
the would-be godfather takes care of Nick in return.
On some level, Nick realizes that by shaking hands with
the devil he's damned his very soul, but the film also
makes it clear that Nick's saved countless lives in
the process. Good cop or bad cop? Such is the dilemma
of James Foley's excellent 1999 film, The Corruptor,
an overlooked morality tale which is often erroneously
written off as a mere John Woo wannabe.
This picture is Chow Yun-Fat's
second U.S. film, and as is customary with crossover
vehicles, the HK superstar gets an American partner,
in this case, Mark Wahlberg. In his role as greenhorn
detective Danny Wallace, the former Marky Mark is an
apt foil for Chow's world-weary, slightly crooked copper.
As the story progresses, the seemingly naïve and
incorruptible Danny tries to stay honest in a world
where every man has his price. But when the titular
"corruptor", Henry Lee (Ric Young, not the
O.J. forensics guy), offers Danny what he wants the
most (putting crooks behind bars), how can someone truly
devoted to "making a difference" refuse? Nick,
however, has other ideas for his partner's future. The
elder detective doesn't want Danny to compromise his
morals as he himself has done, alluding to his own problems
in an early exchange with the rookie. "You don't
change Chinatown," Chen tells his new partner,
"it changes you." As he takes Danny in under
his wing, Nick makes for a curious mother hen—stern,
caring, and deadly with a gun.
In the end, the film raises
several questions: is Nick ultimately a bad cop or a
good one? Do the ends ever justify the means? What is
the nature of justice? What is the nature of good? Though
these questions make for compelling cinema, it also
doesn't hurt that amidst the social commentary there's
a good helping of gun battles, car chases and double-crosses.
They even throw in a few nubile hookers just for good
measure. Though The Corruptor ties things up
rather neatly by story's end, the questions about "heroism"
remain for the viewers and the characters themselves.
To appropriate a line from that famous Roman Polanski-Jack
Nicholson film, "Forget it, Nick. It's Chinatown."
(Calvin McMillin, 2003) |
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Notes: |
• Curiously, actor Kim Chan plays a similar triad
boss also named "Uncle Benny" in the previous
year's Lethal Weapon 4. |
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Availability: |
DVD (USA)
Region 1 NTSC
New Line Home Video
16x9 Anamorphic Widescreen
English Language
Dolby Digital 5.1
Audio Commentary, Isolated Score, Music Video, Trailers |
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image
courtesy of New Line Home Video
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| LoveHKFilm.com
Copyright ©2002-2017 Ross Chen
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