Mad Detective

July was Johnnie To month. This time, however, it is a film I have actually seen before. Viewing it on its UK release, I could confirm that it was indeed worth the few HK$ that I paid for it, but still took approximately 51 weeks to get round to watching it. ‘Mad Detective’ - a co-directing with Wai Ka Fai - is a little different from other Johnnie To works that I have seen; being less about the violence and conflict within power struggles and more around character development.


Bun is a tad…well, mad. Forced out of professional detectiveing, he answers the call of Ho (Andy On), a younger detective out-of-luck in a case involving the disappearance of a police officer 18 months previous, and puts his thinking ear on to aid the detective now in possession of his old police pistol.

But as previously stated: Bun is mad. Claiming to see people’s inner-selves, he will see multiple personalities in individuals to our one, and is ‘aided’ by his wife, who left him many moons ago. It’s not long before Ho realises his mistake and sees why he was kicked-out of the police originally, despite his knack for solving crimes involving suitcases.

Starting off with comedic moments – with multiple personalities visiting the little boys’ room together at once – the film becomes more tense as it progresses towards the climax, as everyone’s inner-self is revealed and the truth uncovered.

Lau Ching Wan does a good job in the lead role, as do the make-up department in making his hair just messy enough to create the illusion of madness and Johnnie To and collaborator Wai Ka Fai shows he can make a film a little different from his norm, with some nice camerawork for an ‘Enter the Dragon’ like ending.

Kitano’s ‘Violent Cop’, To’s ‘Mad Detective’, I am now left to watch William Lustig’s undoubted 1988 classic ‘Maniac Cop’.

Election 2

In ‘Election’, Simon Yam’s Lok was the Nick Clegg-like nice guy in the election race for the position of Wo Shing Society Chairman. By the films’ conclusion, however, he makes a Clegg-like U-turn, showing his ruthless streak in order to gain power. With his term coming to an end, Lok once again starts to show his David Cameron side, seeking to go against Society tradition and serve a second term as Chairman, running against his five god-sons.

Another Hong Kong DVD gone missing, ‘Election 2’ is Johnnie To’s sequel to his multi-award winning, let’s-show-a-lack-of-originality-in-film-reviewing-and-compare-it-to ‘The Godfather’ ‘Election’, with the same power struggle scenario rearing its ugly head once more. This time, it’s the turn of Jimmy (Louis Koo) to play the nice guy forced to show a ruthless side, as he seeks to gain the Chairmanship in order to aid his business plans in mainland China. Up against his four brothers, he is the clear favourite, having both the best hair and tailored suits. But at this, Lok seeks to alter the Society tradition and serve a second term.

The original was a sleek film, showing the race for the baton between two lead candidates, but ‘Election 2’ suffers a little from sequel syndrome, lacking the originality, obviously, of its predecessor and resorting to scenes that feature more shock and gore than true quality. But, that said, ‘Election 2’ is a worthy sequel with some good cinematography and atmosphere. Many of the cast from the original – those whose characters are still alive – are reunited, though many are more as cameos than lead roles. The focus here is much more on Jimmy, with even Johnnie To favourite Simon Lam pushed a little further down the bill in place of his successor. The suspense as to the outcome is, therefore, less apparent than in ‘Election’ and has a sense of inevitability about it.

This won’t win any votes as the best of Johnnie To’s work, but certainly helps his position as one of Hong Kong’s top directors.

PTU

This is another film purchased on DVD while in Hong Kong last summer and that for some reason or other I never got round to watching, which is a shame, because it’s a good little film. ‘PTU’ – or ‘Police Tactical Unit’ (do you want to see my unit?) – follows the plight of Detective Lo, as he searches for his gun; lost to street punks. Enlisting the help of fellow officers, he roams the streets on Tsim Sha Tsui in hope of retrieving it by dawn.

Directed by Johnnie to, this feels like one of those fun films that gets made quickly in between much larger productions, a la ‘Chungking Express’, also set in Hong Kong. The plot is simple enough – though the characters may not always be – and it is easy to dip in and out of without too much thought.

Filmed with wide-angled lenses, with close-up shots, this is classic Hong Kong cinema: capturing the claustrophobic nature of the milieu, with bright lights, dingy streets and an endless array of colourful characters trading blows through the night. Hardly To’s best work, but a further stamp in his place as the John Woo for the new millennium and probably the best director from the SAR over the last decade.

Using regular collaborators, such as Simon Yam and big-and-beautiful Suet Lam, To’s police are a far cry from the hapless characters of Jackie Chan’s 1980s, giving the impression that if one thing is illegal in Hong Kong: it’s smiling. The look and feel are both slick and stylish and cult at the same time, though the music – typically a weak point in Hong Kong films, bar the work of Wong Kar-wai – is, at times, more sixth-form college hopeful with a synthesizer after a two litre bottle of Tizer than professional. But that’s minor, and along with ‘Breaking News’ and ‘Exiled’, ‘PTU’ shows that To is the master of the roaming groups of loners…in Hong Kong and Macau, at least.

Anchorsong performing Daybreak at XOYO (14/07/12)

Anchorsong performing his tribute to his favourite TV show at XOYO in Shoreditch last night at the gig with Kentaro and DJ Woody...

I Want You (I'm an 80's Man) (Prince Paul)

'I Want You (I'm an 80's Man)' by Prince Paul from the album 'Itstrumental'. Hilarious imagery from the Sapporo Beer Museum...

Flattery (Prince Paul)

'Flattery' by Prince Paul from the album 'Itstrumental'. Interesting photo from Cape Soya: the northern most part of Japan. I wonder where she went...

Get It Together - A.B.A. Remix Instrumental (Beastie Boys)

Instrumental version of Beastie Boys' remix of theirs and Q-Tip's 'Get It Together' from the album 'The In Sound From Way Out (Japanese Import)' - an album that has liner notes in both Japanese and French for obvious reasons. Photos of various bits of graffiti from around Shibuya...

Politic 17

Click here and that for listening and such...


Make Some Noise - Beastie Boys
Oh My God (Remix) - A Tribe Called Quest
Too Many Rappers (New Reactionaries Version) - Beastie Boys and Nas
Stressed Out - A Tribe Called Quest, Faith Evans and Consequence
It's a Stick Up! - Prince Paul
Yes, I do Love Them Ho's! - Prince Paul
And the Winner is...? - Prince Paul
The Jackal (The Illest Mix) - Ronny Jordan, DJ Krush and Dana Bryant
Bar Hopper 1 - Kid Koala
Cooky Puss - Beastie Boys
Popcorn - K.M.D.
A to G - Blackalicous
Le Bien, Le Mal - Guru and MC Solaar
If It Wasn't For You - Handsome Boy Modelling School, De La Soul and Starchild Excalibur
Don't Play No Games That I Can't Win - Beastie Boys and Santigold
Weapon World - Prince Paul and Kool Keith
Handle Your Time - Prince Paul, Xzibit and Sadat X
Get A Hold - A Tribe Called Quest
The Gala Event - Beastie Boys
A.E.O.C. - Edan