Chu tai chiu fung

A mature, beautifully executed slow burn crime flick with strong characters, a complex story, and plenty of reflection space ruptured by explosions of unglamourised violent action. Basically, the film depicts a mess of corruption and crime in the build up to Hong Kong's handover from Britain to China, as in Infernal Affairs II, focusing on three veteran gangsters in converging lines of action. Despite getting quite lost with some key aspects of the plot (watched on a plane, so small screen, and I imagine the English subtitles could have been improved upon) I generally felt solidly in touch with the three protagonists and their immediate short term goals, and remained secure that I was in the hands of highly competent filmmakers on both sides of the camera - some superb performances and very strong cinematography. Pardon the lack of polish here, but sometimes it's either that way or not posting at all, and I wanted to add some favourable comments to what little there is on here for this film. In the same ball park as the aforementioned Infernal Affairs II and maybe A Most Dangerous Year, maybe Black Mass. Quality cinema and a real discovery.

The trailer, plot, and characters leave you wanting more than what the film presents you.

There is a sense of irony as the characters seek a larger payout but never come to it... like how this story promises more but never achieves its goal.

Feels like the movie was good but misleading. Only last half of the film proved most interesting.

The film is a fictionalized story about three real-life notorious Hong Kong mobsters, Kwai Ping-hung , Yip Kai Foon and Cheung Tze-keung, who are portrayed in the film by Gordon Lam, Richie Jen and Jordan Chan respectively

Kudos to the trailer for selling me something that definitely is not to be found. Mildly interesting but ultimately an entire waste of time. The middle is entirely bloated and not worth enduring for the complete lack of anything that is the final 10 minutes. In retrospect its closing "reveal" is pretty pretentious in what it took just under 2 hrs to set up. Prior review of being blue balled is pretty sumacious. There is far vetter Asian cinema and entertainment to be had. That said it isn't really bad but it's certainly not good. An ultimate waste of time but I've wasted it on worse, hence a neutral (for me) 5/10, not warranting a "+1" or 6 nor a "-1" or 4. Make what you will though just my take.

Seen at the Viennale 2016: Three different directors make three independent gangster movies shown parallel in Chu Tai Chiu Fung. But all 3 plots have a common aim: the possible meeting of the 3 to join forces as some sort of super crime power, because all 3 of them have already robbed, kidnapped, murdered, and done black business up to the point that any done crime in the past is nearly impossible to top by one alone. It is interesting how different the 3 directors develop their main characters. One gangster is shrill, the other like an accountant, the third is always restrained. And the viewer gets the feeling a joined crime would never work out positively - to different are the 3 gangsters. The three plots are entertaining and quite good interwoven to get a movie with one single impact. But towards the end all three plots get lost somehow and also my interest on the outcome. A pity, because the final scene is fantastic. But too late. Anyway, good crime movie based on the state of Honkgong before its "independence".