Legally Declared Dead

As I sat down to watch the 2019 Hong Kong mystery thriller "Sei Yan Mou Ho Yi" (aka "Legally Declared Dead"), it was because the movie had Anthony Chau-Sang Wong on the cast list, and also because it was a Hong Kong movie that I hadn't already seen.

Initially, I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into here, as I had never heard about the movie from writer and director Kim-Wai Yuen, nor read the novel from Yûsuke Kishi.

And I will say that "Sei Yan Mou Ho Yi" was watchable, for sure. However, it wasn't a particularly outstanding foray into the Hong Kong mystery thriller genre. There are far better and more enjoyable movies out there. But writer and director Kim-Wai Yuen did manage to put together a movie that is sort of adequate enough for a single viewing.

Personally, I found the storyline to be somewhat lacking ingredients to really make it a worth-while movie to sit through. Not enough interesting or thrilling things happened throughout the 109 minutes that the movie ran for. And ultimately, then several things in the storyline wasn't making much of any logical sense.

The acting performances in "Sei Yan Mou Ho Yi" were good though, especially Karena Kar-Yan Lam and Anthony Chau-Sang Wong. I wasn't particularly much a fan of Carlos Chan, in the leading role. And it was a nice touch to have Kai-Chi Liu in the movie as well.

"Sei Yan Mou Ho Yi" is watchable for a single viewing, and that is about it. I am not going to ever return to watch it for a second time, simply as the storyline barely had enough contents to support the first time watching it.

My rating of this 2019 mystery thriller "Sei Yan Mou Ho Yi" lands on a five out of ten stars.

The storyline leading the audience to question who's the murder? The mysterious part was ok but the actress is so bad. Her look and acting just not fit the story at all. And it's so lame a half blind woman is almost unbreakable. Really lame and not convincing. But given it's a hk production, it's good enough comparing to other hk films.

An eager and honest insurance broker is drawn into difficulties in his work: a son has died, apparently by suicide, but he's not so sure that's the case. The father is very, very adamant about receiving the insurance payout on the child's life insurance policy, and our insurance broker just doesn't think it's proper, until he knows more about what happened. In the meantime, the mother of the child is disabled in that she's partially blind and getting blinder by the minute; might she be at risk next? And is the father exactly as he seems in this complicated moment?

I loved that this story-line turns itself upside down in so many ways, while still maintaining a lot of uncertainty about what's really going on. It took the comments of my husband, though, to bring home to me the real point, which I won't reveal here, except to say that there are many ways that can lead to moral destruction. Recommended!

Set in Hong Kong "Legally Declared Dead" is a glimpse into how the lure of money can attract the darkest and most desperate aspects of humanity.

I believe this its actually based on the work of a Japanese writer. Irrespective, its tale of how how money can realise the absolute worst aspects of human nature is universal.

Themes of psychosis, nihilism, inequality, entrenched criminality, addiction, betrayal, inhumanity and its converse, are all explored. A warning up front too. This is a deeply dark film. It pulls no punches and it is, by any standards, disturbing.

Its well paced, with a creepy menace that slowly intensifies as the film scuttles, slinks and slithers towards its troubling conclusion.

Acting is outstanding too, with believable characters that are sympathetic and at the other extreme, utterly abhorrent.

Perhaps its only downside is a lack of any real sense of hope. That said, sometimes what you see is what you get and what you get, may or may not be what you and others, might feel you deserve.

8/10.

The story is based on Japanese novel and I love the story. I also watched the Korea version which is a good thriller. The HK version has made a lot of changes in casting and setting. One big error is about the actress's creepy appearance which completely destroying the turning point in the original work. Also, there is no sense of fear and horror. The director's shooting style is old fashion e.g. the actor seeing a big lobster monster creates laughable and weirdo atmosphere. Insurance agent, step-father and psychologist's overacting makes it worse. So directing, acting, cinematography don't come well all together!