Seung sing (2006)

Directors:

Wai-keung Lau
Siu Fai Mak

Writers:

Felix Chong (written by) &
Siu Fai Mak (written by)

Release Date:

21 December 2006 (Hong Kong)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

The heart is a lonely hunter...

Plot:

A detective helps a friend investigate the mysterious death of his father. |

Awards:

1 win & 7 nominations

Cast

Tony Leung Chiu Wai	...	Detective Lau Ching Hei
Takeshi Kaneshiro	...	Detective Yau Kin Bong
Qi Shu	...	Sai Fung (as Shu Qi)
Jinglei Xu	...	Susan Chow (as Jing Lei Xu)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ankie Beilke	...	Spicy Girl
Bo-yuan Chan	...	Lai Sun Wah (as Ricky Chan)
Candice Chan	...	Beer Promoter
Yee Ting Chan	...	Hei's Sister (as Chan Yee Ying)
Emotion Cheung	...	Chan Wing Fu (as Cheung Kam Ching)
Yuk Wah Cheung	...	Sister In Orphanage (as Cheung Yuk Wah)
Kwai Sam Chui	...	Susan Chow's Doctor (as Chui Kwai Sam)
Woon Ling Hau	...	Landlord of the Seaside House (as Hau Waon Ling)
Jordan Ho	...	Lawyer of Chow
Lin Ho	...	Temple Master (as Ho Lin)
On Tik Hung	...	Gangster at the Café (as Hung On Tik)
Chau Lim Kan	...	School Principal (as Chau Lim Kang)
Lam Kwok Kit	...	Bodyguard (as Lam Kwok Kit)
Elena Kong	...	Hei's Mother
Yiu-Cheung Lai	...	Chan Wai Keung (as Lai Yiu Cheung)
Heung Ping Lau	...	Rich Lady (as Lau Heung Ping)
Ka-wah Lee	...	Broadband Technician (as Lee Ka Wah)
Tat Chiu Lee	...	Gangster at the Pub (as Lee Tat Chiu)
Ho Ming Leung	...	Lau Ching Hei - Restaurant Captain (as Leung Ho Ming)
Toby Leung	...	Policewoman
Ken Ling	...	Rachel's Boyfriend
Bianca Liu	...	Beer Promoter
Chia Yung Liu	...	Gangster at the Café (as Lau Ka Wing)
Yiu Fai Lo	...	Informer (as Lo Yiu Fai)
Yiu Kwun Mok	...	Storekeeper (as Mok Yiu Kwun)
So Wai Nam	...	Bodyguard (as So Wai Nam)
Leong Ngai	...	Young Lau Ching Hei (as Ngai Leong)
Yuen Yee Ng	...	Sister Maci (as Ng Yuen Yi)
Cheuk Ming Poon	...	Security Guard at Hei's Home (as Poon Cheuk Ming)
Wai Lin Sun	...	Chan Wing Fu's Mother (as Sun Wai Lin)
Shaun Tam	...	Policeman
Chapman To	...	Inspector Tsui Wing Kwong
Siu-Chun To	...	Master Wai Shu (as To Siu Chun)
David Tsai	...	Convenient Store Staff
Monie Tung	...	Policewoman
Yeung Ming Wan	...	Uncle Man (as Vincent Wan)
Ho Shu Wing	...	Security Guard at Wah's Home (as Ho Shu Wing)
Emme Wong	...	Rachel
Geoffrey Wong	...	Policeman
Toby Wong	...	Gangster at the Café
Hua Yueh	...	Chow Yuen Sing (as Yue Hua)
Fu Wah Yuen	...	Wong Ming (as Yuen Fu Wah)

Also Known As:

Confession of Pain (International: English title)
Forlorn City (Hong Kong: English title) (literal title)
Shang cheng (Hong Kong: Mandarin title)

Runtime:

Hong Kong:110 min

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Mandarin | Cantonese | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

South Korea:18 | Singapore:PG (edited version) | Singapore:NC-16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Australia:MA

Filming Locations:

Hong Kong, China

Company:

Media Asia Films

Movie Connections:

References Cold Case (1997) (TV)

Soundtrack:

SILENT NIGHT

Admittedly Average

Now here's a good waste of pent up potential, with one of the bigger Asian movies of the 2006 holiday season culminating in a largely uninspiring mixture of several elements that by all rights should have worked well together. At least the title is very apt for what transpires, though.

With both Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Takeshi Kaneshiro throwing in their weight for this one, there seems no plausible reason for failure, as the two aren't only capable thespians and impressive on-screen, they've previously done good when working on the same project, to wit Chungking Express.

However, this time around we are presented with a mediocre release that dabbles a bit too much in a wide array of influences ranging from crime sagas to supernatural thrillers. Confession of Pain (COP) actually nails none of those right smack on the head.

It starts in 2003, presumably on Christmas Eve, as dashing detective Bong (Takeshi Kaneshiro) and his commanding officer Lau Ching Hei (Tony Leung) celebrate the festival by raising toasts and chasing down psychotic criminals. This is where you begin to notice that the movie needs to fess up to more than just it's title: so much is held back, it is as if audiences are expected to surmise literally everything on their own. Not necessarily a bad thing, but COP doesn't do very well with its hint-sprinkling, causing more frustration than anything else. And as every semi-intelligent moviegoer will tell you, most cases of this ilk inevitably lead to one obvious resolution or another, which certainly happens in this case.

At any rate, these first scenes also showcase COP as a product very much endorsed by the Hong Kong government's infatuation with all things touristy, as car chases and other movements traverse the city's more glamorous and unique locales, even if geographically they don't always seem to make too much sense put next to each other like that.

Following a few dark but celebratory successes, the story fast forwards three years to a present tense where Bong faces such tragedy he's moved to quitting the police and switching to the life of a perpetually drunk private eye. Conversely, the more disturbed Lau Ching Hei seems to have hit paydirt, marrying Susan, daughter of a rich businessman. She's done by excellent Xu Jinglei (Spring Subway, Dazzling, My Father and I), and forms the first half of this movie's dominant cast, the ladies. Her complement is Shu Qi, finally recovered from being a thin sliver in Three Times, and looking so sexy you can't get enough of her sweet, giggly portrayal of bar girl Fung. Although Xu Jinglei's northern, Beijing-derived manner isn't exactly at home in a Hong Kong-centric production (plus it's obvious she was dubbed over), Shu Qi's gorgeous visage, extensive Fragrant Harbor filmography and fluent Cantonese mean she's totally like a fish in water here.

Without these two, COP would be close to a total loss. Fortunately, beyond the two female leads, it also possesses an uncanny knack for visceral violence. This is first evinced by a brutal sequence where Susan's wealthy dad gets clobbered over the head with a bronze Budha, with COP sparing us next to no detail. This continues in a few other scenes later on, and we commend directors Lau and Mak for deciding to go with it almost all the way.

Another trait worthy of note is the film's unceasing attempt to throw viewers off. Important events are played and replayed from different perspectives on several occasions, and all seem perfectly reasonable as the story veers ever closer to a who dunnit. So, while COP is basically a blunt tale of violence, suffering, tragedy and revenge, it nonetheless attempts to rise above its simple building blocks with an almost clinical inability to stay still. Does this angle work? Not nearly as well as we would have liked it to. In the end, COP doesn't dish out enough interesting hints, red herrings, easter eggs or even crusty Christmas fruitcake to really intrigue. And even in the brief occasions when it does have you enthralled, the knowledge that sooner or later it'll all come crushing down precludes serious contemplation. This is no David Lynch outing.

As mentioned before, none of the components introduced really get full play. Although Takeshi performs Bong to the best of his ability, and is once more a most likable actor, his relationship with Shu Qi's tantalizing Fung goes nowhere, as the girl pretty soon becomes little more than a comic relief sidekick. The police element isn't explored with any seriousness, featuring several cameos by Chapman To as a officer Tsui, a hapless fellow investigating the bizarre occurrences revolving Susan and her ersatz father. He adds very little to COP, something we regret. Tony Leung, on the other hand, was probably intended as a flatter character, and so we don't feel he was robbed of opportunity as much. Overall, he carries the aloof, surgical Lau Ching Hei with acceptable prowess.

In the end, for something so apparently ambitious, COP gives you very little to take away and mull over, save for Shu Qi in tight jeans and minuscule outfits, but the less we know about what you do with that, the better. A more cohesive storyline would have been preferable, and of course injecting the thing with more elaborate, inventive conventions is high on the list of wish-they'd-thought-of-that's.

To all intents and purposes, we are giving it a pass, yet with the females of the species looking so good and working so well in Confession of Pain, it's a guilty pleasure you may want to allow yourself this time of year.

Rating: * * *