Une nuit à Mongkok

They say that New York is the city that never sleeps? Well obviously whomever came up with that phrase never set foot in Hong Kong, or much less set foot in Mongkok.

As an avid fan of Asian cinema and Hong Kong cinema, and having lived four years in Hong Kong and going shopping twice or thrice a week in Mongkok, it was with some interest that I sat down to watch "One Night in Mongkok". And it was really nice to sit and watch the movie and recognize the occasional place and location, that was a trip down memory lane for me. However, I think that the movie essentially fails to fully show just how populated Mongkok really is, which would be essential, especially as they proclaim that it is the most densely populated place in the world as the movie comes to an end.

Anyway, the story in "One Night in Mongkok" was a bit jumpy and going to and fro, and never really fully closing up the story lines that it opened up. The movie was trying too much, but didn't fully manage to accomplish all it was setting out to do. I was left with a bit too many unanswered and unfulfilled things in the movie that I would have liked closed or brought to peace.

If you are familiar with Hong Kong cinema, then you will see a bunch of known (and somewhat familiar) faces. They had put together a rather good ensemble of actors and actresses for this movie. Normally I am not a fan of Daniel Wu (playing Lai-fu) as he usually comes off a arrogant and aloof, but he actually managed to put on a great performance in this movie, and I think, that it is actually, to date, the best performance I have seen him do. However, he wasn't alone in carrying the movie alone; Cecilia Cheung (playing Dandan) and Alex Fong (playing officer Milo) really helped the movie along as well. It was nice to see Cecilia Cheung in a more serious and mature role than what she usually do (which is basically romantic comedies).

"One Night in Mongkok" is a rather brutal and honest movie, that cuts straight to the bone and doesn't wrap things in plastic. This is the story of people making a living in the seedy underbelly of the flashy and neon-lit streets of Mongkok. But it is more than that; it is also the story of Mainland Chinese trying to get by in Hong Kong, and trust me, the Hong Kong Chinese does treat the Chinese from China as if they are lesser beings, sadly enough (yeah, I have seen that type of racism when I lived there). But more importantly, it is also a story of being human and trying to get by with the cards that you are dealt by an often unfair and harsh life. And, of course, it is a story of 'cat after mouse'.

"One Night in Mongkok" is good entertainment, combining action with drama and suspense. And it actually comes together well enough for a full story, though there are bits and ends hanging here and there unfinished and unanswered. But in overall, "One Night in Mongkok" is a good movie. And if you like Asian cinema with a story that is a bit more compelling and in-depth than your average action and Kung Fu movie, then "One Night in Mongkok" is well worth picking out for a watching.

When I placed 'One Nite in Mongkok' in my DVD player, I was pretty sure that the film would be an above average cat and mouse thriller. However, like my 2005 Oscar ballot, I was far from hitting the nail on the head. The film is a very effective film that succeeds in doing what very few films can: keep you guessing.

Daniel Wu is very convincing as a rookie assassin from Mainland China looking to reunite with his long lost love and help in raising her grandmother. His journey in the film mirrors that of Tom Cruise in 'Collateral', yet in this instance, we are rooting for Wu's character to succeed in goals as he decides not to go through with his assignment. Cecilia Cheung is very good as the prostitute/guide/conscience, although she is too gorgeous for me to fully accept her in the role. When the two characters meet, it starts a chain of events that have ironically tragic undertones. Alex Fong is excellent as the cop who is the common link to every character in the film. The supporting cast is very appealing, most notably Lam Suet as the seedy handler Liu and Anson Leung as the trigger-happy and tragically compulsive cop Ben.

The film, overall, is a study into what happens when people don't think twice about their actions. I recommend it to anyone looking for a film that doesn't subject the audience to unbelievable circumstances and entertains and as well as informs.

ONE NITE IN MONGKOK, a Hong Kong cop thriller about an assassin about to carry out his first hit, sounds like the typical all-action thriller, but on watching it turns out to be something much darker, more subtle and mature in its developing themes. It's a highly effective cat and mouse thriller that prioritises character over action and is all the better for it.

Daniel Wu is one of my all-time favourite Chinese stars and this is one of his top roles. His character, a would-be assassin starting out on his first job, sounds unsympathetic at first but he grows on you as the film develops, and as his growing relationship with Cecilia Cheung is handled sympathetically and with realistic emotion. By the end, you're rooting for him and his cause.

The rest of the film is more familiar, but it all works and slots into place nicely. Alex Fong's bull-headed cop is a worthwhile adversary for our star, and the supporting cast of pimps and drug dealers, grasses and gangsters, is a well developed one. Although the film sometimes has shades of BOURNE it develops its own unique style as it progresses, gradually building to an ultimately devastating climax which took my breath away. It's an astonishing way to end a film, and one which has stayed with me days later.

Asian cinema does it again. Whilst the rest of the world simple gasps at the quality of films the far east is churning out, they continue to let the stream of quality films continue, with this being near the top. The film follows the hunt by a set of policemen chasing a hit-man, who unbeknown to them is a young inexperienced hit-man. If he is not stopped it could lead to all out gang warfare, as he is hired to kill after gang tensions lead to the death of the son of a head gangster.

The hit-man is though the main character ultimately, and he is tagged with a prostitute who by coincidence also comes from a poor region in China. Both contrast each other, but are two sides of the same coin with respect to their current roles. Film builds up using the surroundings of the congested dog-eat-dog world of Mongkok, and takes us on a blind tour of the district and its world where anything and everything is for sale.

Its a film that will intrigue and disturb in equal measures, but don't let that put you off. The film is brilliantly acted, and it is hard to know at times who is on the side of right and wrong, reminiscent of Heat in that sense. Tense, twisting and intelligent, this is a must-see and surely must rank with some of the best that have come out of the HK stable this decade.

ONE NITE IN MONGKOK (Wong Jiao Hei Ye)

Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (Panavision)

Sound format: Dolby Digital

(Color & black and white)

A frazzled police squad searches the Mongkok district of Kowloon for a hired killer (Daniel Wu) whose latest assignment - the targeting of a drug lord responsible for another criminal's death - could ignite a horrendous Triad turf war.

Terrific crime drama, filmed in near-documentary style by director Derek Yee (PEOPLE'S HERO, LOST IN TIME), and featuring Alex Fong (FULL THROTTLE) and Wu (ENTER THE PHOENIX) as characters on opposite sides of the law, each drawn in shades of grey by Yee's gritty script. In something of an ironic twist, Yee paints a remarkably humane picture of villains and good guys alike, using Wu's sympathetic character (and his fraught relationship with Cecilia Cheung's unlikely 'tart with a heart') to portray a world in which people are driven to dark acts by circumstances beyond their control, an approach which serves to highlight the thin veneer of 'respectability' separating the police from those they pursue on a daily basis. This being a HK film, however, tragedy is never far away: Fong pursues his quarry with relentless dedication and Wu flees for his life, but Fate throws them together for one of the most devastating finales in recent memory.

Combining action, drama and character development in equal measure, the narrative moves at a rapid clip (except for a brief lag in the middle) and explodes into frenzied activity at regular intervals. Production values are immaculate, and there's a stunning transition from black and white to color during the first ten minutes. Yee draws strong performances from a superb supporting cast, including Chin Kar-lok (the film's action director) as Fong's right-hand man, and Anson Leung (AB-NORMAL BEAUTY) as a trigger-happy rookie whose inexperience leads to a terrible disaster.

(Cantonese and Mandarin dialogue)