It's claimed to be a film of Johnnie To Kei-Fung's pure personal play. It took four years from the start to the completion. It's a bit like the production mode of "PTU" (2003). A group of actors and production staff intermittently shoot this film while shooting other films. Therefore, the film also starred by his favorite actors Simon Yam Tat Wah, Lam Ka-Tung, Kelly Lin His-Lei, as well as director Law Wing-Cheong who has followed Johnnie To for many years.
The director borrowed the stories of four characters who are engaged in pickpockets (nickname manjeuk, the Chinese name of the film) and a mysterious woman to reshape the urban appearance of old and new street scenes in Hong Kong, seeing that Johnnie To intends to put the romance of French films into the film. In the interview, he mentioned that he wanted to make a musical, but due to the production budget, he had to turn it into a lyrical movie, and the ending of the fight between Simon Yam's four and other gang Lo Hoi-Pang in the rain was made into a romantic imitation musical. He also made it clear that he was influenced by the French musical "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" (1964).
"Sparrow" is completely different from to crime and gangster films, and it's also not too close to the romantic light comedy of his and Wai Ka-Fai period. It's written about the brotherhood of four people such as Simon Yam and Lam Ka-Tung, and there is still Johnnie To's unique feelings, especially the scenes of four people riding bicycles and catching a bird, all of which are reminiscent of his other films, such as "PTU" Simon Yam and Raymond Wong Ho-Yin go upstairs to catch thieves and "Throw Down" (2004) Louis Koo Tin-Lok, Aaron Kwok Fu-Shing and Cherrie Ying Choi-Yi work together to grab a balloon, and so on.
And the scene of Simon Yam riding a bicycle on the old street with a camera to take pictures, full of urban romance with European colors, it seems that Johnnie To is interested in learning from and paying tribute to French Cinema. Johnnie To's skill in handling individual scenes has not diminished, and they all show his spirit in handling scenes. Unfortunately, the film structure is loose, the story is simple and unconvincing. It also lacks the surreal, imaginative charm of musicals.
By Kam Po LAM (original in Chinese)
The director borrowed the stories of four characters who are engaged in pickpockets (nickname manjeuk, the Chinese name of the film) and a mysterious woman to reshape the urban appearance of old and new street scenes in Hong Kong, seeing that Johnnie To intends to put the romance of French films into the film. In the interview, he mentioned that he wanted to make a musical, but due to the production budget, he had to turn it into a lyrical movie, and the ending of the fight between Simon Yam's four and other gang Lo Hoi-Pang in the rain was made into a romantic imitation musical. He also made it clear that he was influenced by the French musical "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" (1964).
"Sparrow" is completely different from to crime and gangster films, and it's also not too close to the romantic light comedy of his and Wai Ka-Fai period. It's written about the brotherhood of four people such as Simon Yam and Lam Ka-Tung, and there is still Johnnie To's unique feelings, especially the scenes of four people riding bicycles and catching a bird, all of which are reminiscent of his other films, such as "PTU" Simon Yam and Raymond Wong Ho-Yin go upstairs to catch thieves and "Throw Down" (2004) Louis Koo Tin-Lok, Aaron Kwok Fu-Shing and Cherrie Ying Choi-Yi work together to grab a balloon, and so on.
And the scene of Simon Yam riding a bicycle on the old street with a camera to take pictures, full of urban romance with European colors, it seems that Johnnie To is interested in learning from and paying tribute to French Cinema. Johnnie To's skill in handling individual scenes has not diminished, and they all show his spirit in handling scenes. Unfortunately, the film structure is loose, the story is simple and unconvincing. It also lacks the surreal, imaginative charm of musicals.
By Kam Po LAM (original in Chinese)