Accident

I honestly wanted to like this one, it is somewhat moody and slow and ponderous, which I normally don't mind if it is done well. Take David Lynch for example, to whom this movie is likened... Now he does that kind of thing probably better than anyone else I feel because he reaches right down deep into the subconscious, and even though one might not consciously understand exactly what is going on, there IS indeed a powerful atmosphere and you do really feel a tugging at your subconscious which can affect you rather deeply.

BUT... this movie here sort of tries to do that. Technically, it is put together really well, and the acting is fine. Even the basic idea of this special group who arranges 'Accidents' is intriguing. Unfortunately though, in my lowly and wretched opinion, there just isn't enough true substance behind it. Or... if it had even half of the kind of deep atmosphere that Lynch can create, then this could have worked better as more of an 'Art' film. But, I honestly feel that it simply just doesn't have enough going on to do that.

I usually don't mind 'Slow'... But, this one is really, REALLY SLOW, but without any underlying mood or strong enough vibe to make it truly interesting. Yes, the story and plot ultimately are quite good, and the running time most thankfully isn't drawn out unnecessarily which I feel would indeed have made it quite a bit worse. BUT... when all is said and done it really just comes across as very slight and I'm sure more superficial than the filmmakers intended.

There just is not enough characterization to interest you in the people. And, there also is simply not enough going on surrounding the intriguing concept I feel ultimately to make it truly satisfying or honestly in any way really entertaining. Just not much 'there' there...

So, I can see how some might be able to 'tune in' to the VERY mild and extremely understated vibe here and possibly enjoy it more so. But, to me the bottom line is that if you are going to make a story that is this extremely slow and somewhat mysterious, you absolutely HAVE to have more going on, at least in creating a substantial, palpable mood of some kind in order to justify the rather slight things that are happening on the actual screen.

So, yeah, because of what I felt was a pretty strong deficit in the result, despite a very intriguing idea, I really could only give this a '5' It wasn't awful, but I truly think it will leave many feeling like there is nothing much really there when it is over...

I'm not sure what to make of this movie. It's not a long film, and so repeat viewings may make people appreciate its intricacies more. The film revolves around a small tight-knit group of assassins who work by killing their victims in ways that would appear to have been purely an accident, the "accident" being decidedly gruesome once executed.

Led diligently by a straight-forward highly intelligent man they call "Brains", they work to ensure no trace can lead the deaths to themselves. When the tables are turned and a member is killed, the focus closes on "Brain" who struggles to find out what has happened and gone wrong, and who is out to get them.

It's a moody film and uses the claustrophobic HK atmosphere well. One problem is that it's hard to decipher all that is happening from one viewing. It can get ponderous and confusing. The acting is generally very good and the action of the deaths very well done, but it doesn't compensate for the lack of clarity. Then again maybe it wasn't meant to be a tidy film and that is the point.

Overall, I thought it was okay and interesting enough. Maybe with some more work and time on the script then it could have become far better. Not bad, but just not great.

With an intense score from Xavier Jamaux (who has done a few films for Milkyway Productions), and stunning cinematography from Edmond Fung - who incidentally shot the fantastic Dog Bite Dog, and Shamo, for director Cheang - you can't help but get drawn into the film, even with its slow-burning pace.

Accident is like watching a regular Johnnie To flick, but with an added darkness as director Soi Cheang harks back to his earlier films (mentioned above) to bring us an often intense, violent and dark thriller that - in my opinion - is quite underrated!

Louis Koo plays the Brain (literally) of a small but covert team of assassins who get paid to take out people, all while making it look like an accident. It may sound simple, but the team go to some lengths in their planning to pull of some convincing accidents that makes Death from Final Destination seem like a 60's Bond villain...

Of course, as a viewer, this means stretching the imagination a little as some of the plans rely on coincidences and chance to work. But not to a ridiculous degree, and of course at the end of the day - its just a film.

With some incredible, atmospheric night scenes in floods of rain, the film starts to take a turn for the worse as plans start to go wrong, and Brain's paranoia kicks in believing that he is now under threat - a victim to someone else's planning...

I don't want to give too much more away really, but Accident is most definitely worth the watch. Louis Koo gives a great performance as Brain, as does everyone else in their roles to be honest. It was great to see Stanley Fung (the Lucky Stars series) back in such a serious role. While he has been appearing in many films over the years, I definitely think this is one of his finest roles that saw him nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 29th Hong Kong Film Awards.

While it may have its flaws and is not supposed to be the kind of film that leaves you feeling happy, Accident is well worth the watch and should definitely have gained more international attention with Hong Kong film fans!

Overall: A tense, atmospheric thriller, beautifully shot with an amazing score and performances from all involved!

if you like Johnnie's movies, this should be among your list remarkably, this movie is shot with only few characters but to an excellent portrayal not much talking with most of expression & meaning conveyed just by eye or facial movement

the curiosity & intense is able to get you focus through the entire movie unexpected death scenes much alike to the final destinations fame gives it extra entertainment

it's been quite some time we have enjoyed great hong Kong films since infernal affairs & exiled go watch it (definitely better than vengeance)

Accident might just be the most refined and intelligent piece of Hong Kong cinema since 2002's Infernal Affairs. The film probably won't prove as popular with mainstream audiences due to its almost meditative, slow-burn pacing - but for anyone with an interest in inventive genre cinema, Soi Cheang's newest outing is a must-see.

Taking its cues from Jean-Pierre Melville, Accident revolves around a group of assassins who stage their murders like accidents. The group is led by Brain (Louis Koo in a career-defining performance), who grows increasingly paranoid when one of the group's accidents goes awry and kills another member.

Thankfully, while the actual "accidents" are impressive and cleverly put together, Soi Cheang doesn't make the mistake of letting gimmicky set pieces dominate his film. Instead, Accident becomes a fascinating character study of a man who gradually destroys himself through paranoia and guilt. As such, the film largely depends on Louis Koo's performance - and what a performance it is; with this film, Koo finally deserves to be elevated from the hotpot of mediocre HK-popstars-cum-actors people used to include him in.

Add to this an elegiac score by Xavier Jamaux, elegant cinematography and you end up with the most compelling film to come out of Asia in the past 2 years.

If there is any problem to be found in this, it's that Accident is purely a Milkyway Image film, not a Soi Cheang film. Anyone hoping to find the director's trademark relentlessness here will be disappointed - although it could be argued some of the nihilism found in works like Dog Bite Dog was carried over into Accident's finale.