Protégé

I saw this movie in the Hong Kong IFC mall before I got the train to the airport. It is one of the best films I have ever seen. I am a huge Daniel Wu fan anyway, and I related to his relationship with his smack-head neighbour straight away, having lived with a smack-head with a little daughter. Some of the "it's not my fault" statements by the neighbour and her slimy husband seemed very familiar to me. Judging by the reaction of other (Chinese) people in the cinema, it was familiar to them as well. I expect this film to be available soon on DVD. When it does I will buy it instantly. I can recommend it totally to any HK film fan, and to anyone else who appreciates films that make you think.

Boosting some of Hong Kong's film industry biggest with producer Peter Chan (Perhaps Love) and director Derek Yee (C'est La Vie and One Night in Mongkok), "Protégé" looks set to become this Hong Kong biggest film this Chinese New Year.

The Protégé here is Nick (Daniel Wu), trained to take over Jong's (Andy Lau) heroin trafficking business, but is in fact a police officer. His inner conflict is between the loyalty towards his 'teacher', and duty towards his job and justice. Things get more complicated when he falls in love with a heroin-addict (Zhang Jingchu), forced to detriment by her husband (Louis Koo).

The story of an undercover police would remind many of "Infernal Affairs", especially when both stars Andy Lau. The difference lies in its subtlety. While there are still police chase scenes and fights, the focus of the film is on the character development more than its actions.

Daniel has proved his acting abilities in One Night In Mongkok. Though he is playing the lead role in "Protégé", his character lacks of a very distinct quality to showcase his acting skills. This is so for Andy Lau's 'baddie' role as well, and you can't put across strongly how you should feel for him. Anita Yuen has very little screen time, perhaps due to the fact she was six months pregnant, and there could be more chemistry between her and Andy Lau.

The scene stealer is the refreshing China actress Zhang Jingchu who breathes an air of vulnerability and frenzy as a woman forced by circumstances. We should expect more from her as she moves on to a Hollywood in Rush Hour 3. Louis Kook, in stained teeth and tattered clothes, changes his image successfully playing her abusive husband.

Starting off slowly, the movie picks up after moving to the Golden Triangle, where audience are treated to the eye-opening sight of heroin plantations and produce.

"Protégé" may not be adrenalin pumping or mass audience entertainment, as director Derek Yee probably wanted to weave in a social message in a subtle and restrained manner. The last scene was enough for me to understand the story, though you wished he had pushed the movie forward a little more.

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The Hong Kong crime movie genre has another worthy addition to its collection, hot off the heels of the Infernal Affairs creative team's Confession of Pain. While movies of the genre of late are almost always gearing toward sophistication, Protégé plays out its story in surprisingly straight forward fashion, although the characters are draped in shades of grey. What makes the movie compelling, are the relationships formed between the principle characters.

If any synopsis suggests anything complex in the cops-and-robbers treatment of its key characters, it sure didn't play out that way. Daniel Wu is Nick, an undercover cop spending the last 7 years working for Andy Lau's "Banker", one of the top drug lords in HK. Ill health has forced Banker to look for a successor, and as all crime lords without natural heirs go, it sure is difficult to trust an outsider to takeover the business without stabbing you in the back. In fact, instead of Asian superstar Andy Lau, Protégé as the name implies, is actually a Daniel Wu vehicle, as we see events unfold through his eyes, and in two concurrent threads. The first being his contacts with the suppliers, and the second, his personal relations from someone who is part of the demand pool. If you were to add an additional dimension, his allegiance with the law enforcers serves as a minor subplot. No wonder Nick is one confused chap!

In contrast to the slick production look of its peers, Protégé turned out rather grimy, in deliberate fashion, as much of the time we're stuck in the doldrums of society, the ready market of those willing to abuse drugs for that quick fix in escaping their woes. And it is in this part of society that we spend much of our time in. Nick befriends a single mom played by Chinese actress Zhang Jingchu, who is a drug junkie, unable to break out of her habit, try as she might. They form a reluctant friendship, more because of the fact that Nick takes pity on Jing-jing the little girl, the innocent sufferer of her mom's ineptness to break out of addiction.

Written and directed by Derek Yee, Protégé covers the whole spectrum of the heroin supply chain, from the farmers right down to the individual junkie, and examines the concerns of each layer. It's basically a roadmap 101 to drug production, with loads of cash to be made, especially for those willing to take big risks in dealing, trafficking and producing. It's a showcase on the drug operations, with its low tech, high manpower operations in the extensive network of runners, and its compartmentalization of roles and responsibilities. You can't but be impressed by how things are run, akin to any large organization, only clandestine, led by businessmen in it for the money, with warped morals and a sense of being the bridge for sellers to satisfy demand.

Despite top billing for Anita Yuen and Louis Koo, they actually have only bit parts in the movie, the former as the pregnant wife of Banker, and the latter as yet another junkie, husband to Zhang Jingchu's Jane. Somehow, with the audience I'm with, Louis Koo seems to be the one drawing in the laughter, perhaps for his general wardrobe and make up in the movie. Zhang Jinchu's performance managed to highlight the plight that junkies go through, in either trying to resist their urges, or succumbing to temptation, and the natural willingness to lie their way, even sell their souls, just for that quick fix. It's one thing to show compassion and trying to help, but totally a different ball game altogether as professional and sustained rehabilitation seems the only way to go. Hers and Louis' roles are probably to send out strong anti-drug messages.

On the other hand, Andy Lau's role, although muted in some ways, seem to want to endear him to audiences, with his character's penchant for candy, and all round nice family man. Never one who spends extravagantly on home turf, you'll probably not even suspect he's the head honcho of a multi-million dollar syndicate. And it is this harmless facade, that complicates Nick's relationship with his mentor, should he embark on following through with his mission. The mentor unreservedly showing you the ropes, making you a rich man in the process, and that his family takes a liking for you as well, but as the undercover, how could you draw the line, especially when its dealing with human emotions, of deep friendship, trust, and betrayal?

Daniel Wu played his role really well, and I'm surprised that he's super charismatic here, holding his own against Lau by playing the many facades of Nick excellently. His role too offers a comparison between members from both sides of the law, of trust and loyalties amongst in the force, albeit from another division, who spare no hesitation in using him for personal glory, and contrasted against the unwritten law of brotherhood, anonymity and trust of those in the illicit business.

One of the biggest movies hitting screens in Asia during this Chinese New Year period, it won't be difficult for Protégé to make a killing at the box office, given its powerful, engaging storyline which doesn't complicate, and the star-studded cast. As Raintree Pictures had a hand in co-producing the movie, expect to see one scene shot here, which reiterates our long no-nonsense approach to drug traffickers.

P.S. While I'm quite surprised at the many cinematically detailed instruction of drug production and drug use that remained intact in the version shown here, what was snipped instead was a sexy scene (damn!). What gives? Yes, so besides having to watch this movie dubbed in Mandarin, it's an edited version to boot.

An excellent portrayal of an undercover cop working to bring an end to a huge drug network in Hong Kong.

The film gives three sides of the story and shows the viewer a glimpse into the world of the drug-lord, the undercover cop and the addict.

All three main characters (Andy Lau, David Wu and Zhang Jingchu) gives an excellent and flawless performance. Where does one draw the line between business and drug smuggling, crime prevention and aiding crime, addiction and family? Is David Wu's character the protégé or are the addicts the protégé? At the end of the day, drugs destroys everything. One could turn a blind eye, but everything comes round in a circle.

Brian De Palma talks about cocaine in Scarface, the 1983 drug epic that makes Al Pacino well known for his role of Tony Montana, a ruthless drug lord that trades cocaine in the early 80's.

Now meet HongKong director Derek Yee, who creates a friendlier Montana of HongKong, Quin aka the Banker. Andy Lau took the role of Asia's friendly Montana, who trades heroin instead of cocaine. He decided to hand his heroin business to Nick (Daniel Wu), his driver who has followed him for 8 years. Nick is just like Manny Ribera, the best friend of Montana. However, Nick is actually a police undercover who has been gathering evidence to nab Quin and his organization.

Protégé is an adaptation from one of the case handled by the HongKong police. Audience who has watched Yee's previous production such as One Night in Mongkok, The Truth About Jane and Sam and C'est La Vie, Mon Cherie knows that he would not overuse use any car-chasing or gun-firing to achieve the effect of telling the story of the battle between the police and the underworld. Instead, he uses down to earth dialogues to tell the story. Having a plot that discuss drugs, the film goes deep into the world of drugs, from money to damage, from love to extreme hatred from drug abusing.

Certain scenes featured explores the damages done to the people for abusing drugs. In the film, damages were featured in the character Jane (Zhang Jing Chu) and her husband (Louis Koo), where both were drug abusers. The husband forces the wife to prostitution so as to feed his craving for drugs. Jane, on the other hand, starves herself and did not give proper education to her daughter, for she was too poor and tired to take care of her daughter. Eventually, her cravings for drugs leads to her self-destruction.

Audience are treated to a exploration of the Golden Triangle located in the South East Asia, which was well-known in the world for poppy plantation. The film also features steps in producing heroin, such as growing, extraction, processing and the various names used to differentiate types of drugs. Compared to other films that discusses drugs, Protégé has featured something that others have never tried before.

Apart from the above named cast, Protégé also features Yee himself as Nick's superior, the banker's wife (Anita Yuen's comeback appearance after ceasing herself from the big screen for a long period) and Qi Yu Wu (an Singapore actor from Mediacorp). While it is a surprise to see Yee and Yuen taking supporting role in the film, Qi's role as a Singapore Police Officer seems pretty redundant, for that few second's appearance doesn't make much difference. It is not surprising to see Qi given such a small role, since Protégé is a production of Singapore Mediacorp's Raintree Pictures and they are well known for using throwing in their own actors playing redundant roles. Think Tay Ping Hui in Andrew Lau and Alan Mak's Infernal Affairs 2 and Hossan Leong in Max Makowski's One Last Dance, where Raintree has a part in it.

Overall, Protégé might seems to be another films about drugs, but once you go deeper into the film, you will find the ugliness of drugs baring naked in front of you.