Somehow, when I walked in to the cinema, I had the impression that this is a movie about Hong Kong in the 50s or 60s. It didn't take long to find out that the setting is contemporary, with cell phones and all that. However, this movie is retro at heart. This is accomplished both through "hardware" and "software". By the former, I mean painstakingly seeking out buildings and scenery that have not changed much from half a decade ago, and capturing them through shots that painstakingly avoid including the modern buildings in the same frame. By "software" I mean deliberating using stale comic situations and clumsy laughs that were common in the movies of the 50s and 60s, not because director To is incapable of doing better but because of their retro effect.
Quite obviously, this movie belongs to the "style over substance" genre (if there is one) and I feel sorry for critics who have nothing better to say than the feeble "feeble plot" verdict. The story is simple: four buddies in the pickpocket profession find their life disrupted as they are approached separately by a mysterious, alluring femme fatale. It turns out that she is the mistress of a retired kingpin to whom she still feels gratitude and respect, but longs to be reunited to her sweetheart in the Mainland. She wants them to steal from him her passport that he keeps locked in a safe. The kingpin turns out to be a top-notch pickpocket himself and beats the four buddies every time at their own game. In the end, we find that old man has a heart and although he holds every card, he let the girl go free, even though he cries in his limousine like a baby after she has gone.
The entire movie is light as feather. "The group of four", while their professional skill is obviously not top-notch, seems to have an easy time doing their day's work, and spend the rest of the day shooting the breeze in a charchantang (Hong Kong style café for the masses) or riding on the leader's ancient bicycle (yes, all 4 of them) a languid lifestyle and an existence that can almost be described as idyllic. The various shades of emotion among the buddies, the girl with each of them, the girl and the old man are only gently discernible. The movie is about mood. If Wong Ka-wai's mood is love, this one is delightful romance.
For people who have lived in Hong Kong in the 50s and 60s, the images in this movie are mesmerizing. Even to those without the retro connection, this is cinematography that seeks out the best of the city. The ingenious finale is clearly a tribute to "The umbrellas of Cherbourg" (1964). But instead of a colourful parade, we have pure black umbrellas in a rainy night, with occasional sparkle of city neon in the background. The occasion the duel of two group of pickpockets: "walk ten city blocks this evening and still manage to keep the girl's passport in your pocket, and she'll go free" is the challenge the old kingpin throws.
Simon Yam is at his easiest best playing the leader, and gets good support from the other three. Kelly Lin does very little, which is exactly what is needed to create the mysterious lure of the girl. LO Hoi-pang is appropriately animated for his role of the kingpin.
I think director To mentioned in an interview, partly jokingly, that this is the third of his buddy-group trilogy "The mission", "PTU" and "Sparrow". While the buddy aspect is only one of the elements of "Sparrow", that is one way of looking at it.
Quite obviously, this movie belongs to the "style over substance" genre (if there is one) and I feel sorry for critics who have nothing better to say than the feeble "feeble plot" verdict. The story is simple: four buddies in the pickpocket profession find their life disrupted as they are approached separately by a mysterious, alluring femme fatale. It turns out that she is the mistress of a retired kingpin to whom she still feels gratitude and respect, but longs to be reunited to her sweetheart in the Mainland. She wants them to steal from him her passport that he keeps locked in a safe. The kingpin turns out to be a top-notch pickpocket himself and beats the four buddies every time at their own game. In the end, we find that old man has a heart and although he holds every card, he let the girl go free, even though he cries in his limousine like a baby after she has gone.
The entire movie is light as feather. "The group of four", while their professional skill is obviously not top-notch, seems to have an easy time doing their day's work, and spend the rest of the day shooting the breeze in a charchantang (Hong Kong style café for the masses) or riding on the leader's ancient bicycle (yes, all 4 of them) a languid lifestyle and an existence that can almost be described as idyllic. The various shades of emotion among the buddies, the girl with each of them, the girl and the old man are only gently discernible. The movie is about mood. If Wong Ka-wai's mood is love, this one is delightful romance.
For people who have lived in Hong Kong in the 50s and 60s, the images in this movie are mesmerizing. Even to those without the retro connection, this is cinematography that seeks out the best of the city. The ingenious finale is clearly a tribute to "The umbrellas of Cherbourg" (1964). But instead of a colourful parade, we have pure black umbrellas in a rainy night, with occasional sparkle of city neon in the background. The occasion the duel of two group of pickpockets: "walk ten city blocks this evening and still manage to keep the girl's passport in your pocket, and she'll go free" is the challenge the old kingpin throws.
Simon Yam is at his easiest best playing the leader, and gets good support from the other three. Kelly Lin does very little, which is exactly what is needed to create the mysterious lure of the girl. LO Hoi-pang is appropriately animated for his role of the kingpin.
I think director To mentioned in an interview, partly jokingly, that this is the third of his buddy-group trilogy "The mission", "PTU" and "Sparrow". While the buddy aspect is only one of the elements of "Sparrow", that is one way of looking at it.