Scorsese Meets Woo
27 June 2001
Tony Leung Chiu Wai is cast against type as the corrupt and violent Police officer in this Noir thriller. He gives his most deepest and powerful performance since playing the mentally tough protagonist of John Woo's Bullet in the Head(1990). In the tradition of the pessemistic noir pictures of the 1940s. A complex and thrilling story with surprising plot twists. Mixture of Martin Scorsese, Fernando Di Leo, John Woo, and Takeshi Kitano.

Another fabulous movie from Patrick Yau with his tight and taut direction. Has Patrick Yau done anything recent as it seems he hasn't done anything since Expect the Unexpected(1998). The most talented director from Hong Kong of the late 1990s. Involved in the production was Johnny To who is known for his dark and grim action and crime thrillers. The sequence in the warehouse is stunning.

Ching Wah Lau is terrific as the cool and enigmatic stranger. The whole gangster poltics in the movie echos the ideas of Martin Scorsese's mob flicks and Fernando Di Leo's Italian Crime movies especially Il Boss/The Boss(1973). The gunbattle between Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Ching Wah Lau reminds me of the best of John Woo. The final scene reminds me a lot of the final sequence from the Takeshi Kitano movie, Violent Cop(1989). The Longest Nite(1997) is more closer in tone to Takeshi Kitano than John Woo.
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