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.

Such an impressive piece of filmmaking. Shrewd plot line never overshadows the carefully delineated characters and their occasionally unsettling and in a few instances poignantly relatable lives. The cynic in me suspects, perhaps a bit unfairly, many will approach this film anticipating and maybe even hoping for yet another one-dimensional, albeit slickly well-crafted Hong Kong action flick, and with the renowned names synonymous with brilliant shoot-em-ups attached who would blame them? And yet, if you're like me and greedily ingest your South East Asian films only when piled on with some explosively creative and original flavor, then this one is for you, my friend.

You've actually watched this film before putting up a hollow review that got nothing to do with this film itself but generally accuse Chinese movies released online for your piracy? Because if those movies were released on the big screen in the cinema in the US region, they'd definitely have English subtitles ready for the viewers who paid for the viewing. So it's obviously that you are just a freebie who kept downloading from those torrent websites, sometimes even before those movies have not been officially released yet to the theaters. It seems that you've downloaded this film without knowing it's still too early to have some understandable English subtitles available for freebies, yet you just attacked in the general direction to complain films from China, Korea, south Asian countries, or India simply because they didn't provide you with English subtitles and, just for this reason, you gave a low rating for this film for lacking of English subtitles. Give me a break, will you? Beggars can't be choosers, you don't have to download movies from foreign countries without English subtitles for free then complain about it. You can always buy a ticket to enjoy foreign movies with subtitles on the big screen or streamline from Amazon.com ready for you to understand and appreciate.

You're not rating this film with justifiable Stars as the first viewer's review because you didn't really view it, nor you have the right or the privilege to complain for a free chow. I don't view this film yet, so I'd not give any star to rate this film either; Cantonese or Mandarin, whatever.

UPDATE:

One of the VERY BEST CRIME FILMS ever coming out of H.K./China. The screenplay is very well thought through, a very matured one that rarely seen in recent years. The scenario and the plot are both top-drawer stuff. We've got three directors seamlessly directed from different angles and well synchronized. Three of the major leading crime bosses are also a perfect casting job. Richie Jen did a break-through performance. I used to consider this guy is a very bad actor, but not in this film, he's aged and totally grasped the role as a real deal. Congrats, Richie, you've finally arrived to become a better actor! Jordan Chan also did a fair job as the crazy, arrogant and out-of-control crime boss, a bit exaggerated in acting but quite matched being such a role. Ka Tung Lam played the hidden and mysterious chameleon, heartless but at the same time still got a tender corner in his heart to his old buddy. These three big criminals tried to meet up and do a crime of the century. They never met before only by their notorious names. There's a scene at the ending, they actually met face to face in a restaurant before. That scene is just such a nice high point of the whole movie, it also shows the crafty screenplay, the subtle and smart directing technique. All the supporting actors are also nice casting jobs. A very interesting story about how these three big criminals ended facing the music.

A great film hard-coded with Chinese subtitles. Highly recommended if this film could be released in the U.S., of course, English subtitles should become available then.

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.

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".