The mission

Johnnie To is one of the world's most underrated contemporary film directors. Working in Hong Kong he effortlessly switches between genre flicks (like The Mission, but he's equally at home in rom-coms (like Needing You or Love on a Diet) and weirder though sometimes even better material like 'Running on Karma' (or Heroic Trio is earlier times). The man is just as prolific as he is original, and even if he is derivative he is still a great, effortless entertainer. His Milky Ways production company makes studio and independent films with the same dedication. His latest film 'Election' is actually in competition in this year's Cannes. The Mission is the type of film Jean-Pierre Melville would probably make today. Its a mix of Hong Kong Noir and stylised set-piece. It boasts some of Hong Kong acting heavy-weights (many of which appear also in the Infernal Affairs trilogy). Dialogue is minimal, efficiency is the maxime. The music is so detached that the effect overall is almost hypnotising. The film is not perfect, and the flaws hurt because this could have easily been truly great. Still, it's way above average. Watch this and anything else by To you can get your hands on. It boggles

i saw this movie at local festival named "the art of enmity", playing several well-known hong kong flicks. those i already knew were the popular "bloods & guts & dance & fight" type. so i expected "the mission" to at best be an entertaining action movie with lots of stereotypes.

it turned out to be quite different, and i felt pleasantly surprised.

the basic plot is rather classic: 5 guys are hired to protect a triad boss, who is assaulted on a regular base.

the difference to other movies from this genre is that none of the 5 turns out to "the hero" (they work as a group), there are no ridiculous stunts, stupid over-reactions, or silly pride (they calmly do their job), and the main character is not the boss or his right hand (his bodyguards are).

of course there is some fighting and shooting, but with comparably small amounts of bullets and blood. the highlight is a scene in a mall, where the bodyguards and the assassins are only a few meters apart, and calmly wait for each other to make the first move. several minutes of people standing around and smooth music in the background - and yet, more tension than in any hollywoodesque thriller.

occasionally, there are small scents of humor (for example when they start a soccer match with a paper ball while waiting for their boss), but no "fun".

we often see the boring side of the work as a bodyguard: drinking coffee, watching surveillance cameras, walking circles, driving the wife shopping. these sequences are short enough to not bore the viewer, but long enough to make him feel glad not to be in their position.

on the negative side, i found that it took the movie unnecessary long to get going. there's not much interesting happening before the 5 get together. clearly, the movie is about their relationships among each other, and their behavior as a group. so the short introduction to the characters alone didn't really add much.

if you are just looking for yet-another-hong kong-flick, you will be disappointed. i myself am glad it didn't fulfill my expectations. 8 of 10.

Five bodyguards find out who plotted the abortive attempt to kill their boss. Their quest in nocturnal Kowloon stands out from most Hong Kong gangster movies. Beautifully shot in widescreen format it has a repetitive score that emphasizes the camaraderie between the five main characters.

Shot lovingly at a measured pace, the Mission is one of the best films I've seen all year.

The cinematography is simply incredible. Combined with a strong score and excellent sound, it sets the tone and pace of the film. Rather than rushing the gun battles and creating the furious duels of John Woo films, the Mission takes a slow measured approach. The bodyguards cover one another and move in harmony, taking up advantageous positions from which to strike. They do this slowly and methodically, but with an air of cinematic perfection to their languid movements. When they fire their guns, the weapons thunder and bullets either ricochet off or shatter their targets. No stock sound effects here - this is as good as Heat or Saving Private Ryan in the intensity and quality of its weapons fire.

The acting is first rate with much of the communication left unspoken. These men don't need to ramble on to one another, a few sentences or a simple gesture convey all the information that is required. All five of the bodyguards turn in first rate performances that leave you with a real sense of both who these men are and what they are all about.

The theme here is loyalty - and while it might be a simple one, this is one of its finest presentations. Definitely worthy of one's time.

As the movie began, I heard some cheesy, yet haunting, music sounding off. "Oh, great," I said. "Another lame Hong Kong shoot-em-up flick!" This film is definitely not that. The story may be simple, but that fine. It's solid. It's more of a character driven film anyway. I really liked the characters a lot. The gunplay was realistic for the most part and provided good action. The ending is excellent.