The Untold Story

My wife and I saw this movie recently, and I am still creeped out by it. To put this in perspective, we watch movies like Henry Portrait of a serial killer, and Thief, Cook, Wife and Her Lover all the time. None of those movies had the same impact on me as this one. I don't know if it is knowing this was a true story, or the intensity of the killers acting, but this movie draws you into the story and makes you watch as a helpless bystander.

I think the best thing the movie does is show how homicidal maniacs have Jeckle/Hide personalities. The movie never paints the killer with the same broad strokes it unfortunately paints the rest of the cast. There are scenes where I found myself feeling sorry for him, times where he looked like people I know, and times where I could almost like him. The police aren't painted as the heros in the white hats either. Most of them are less likeable than the killer. The whole movie has the feeling like your quiet uncle Joey just murdered your whole family right in front of you.

We did watch the un-cut not rated version, so I don't know what the theatrical release is like.

Consensus view: ugly, bleak, grueling slasher film about sick restaurant owner in Macau mincing his victims into pork buns, given really strange comedic pizazz by a group of daft incompetent cops on the trail. Smudge of social commentary near the end, when the cops cannot properly solve the case by gathering clues they turn into torturers themselves.

Digging a little deeper, I believe it works the way it does because of the particular way we are situated inside the story: we only spend time with the killer as he maims and mutilates. Our primary focus is on the incompetent investigation, itself a source of ironic amusement exactly because we are two steps ahead; we know exactly what is going on and have to wait for them as they play catch-up. Every dimwitted joke is someone's limbs hacked off down the road.

Our killer is messy and an amateur, the law enforcers perhaps even more. The police captain is always cavorting with hookers. The result is a chaotic universe without moral value or clear demarcations. How better to exemplify a corrupt, absent law than by increasingly depraved violence recast as the darkest of comedies?

This is my first 'Cat III' flick, so while I'm not qualified to compare this to other genre entries; I've heard this is the pick of the bunch, and I wouldn't be surprised to find that is indeed the case. I guess this is the sort of film that people mean when they talk about completely sick Asian cinema, as The Untold Story doesn't exactly hold back and while the plotting is largely uneven and sometimes doesn't flow well; there's buckets of blood on display, and the film always at least has that to fall back on. The film plays out something like a cross between a psycho killer flick and a police drama, as we follow Wong Chi Hang; a man who brutally murdered a family after a card game, and took control of the Eight Immortals Restaurant. Various members of the restaurant staff are going missing, and it's no coincidence that the restaurant happens to serve 'pork bao'. The story really starts when some kids discover a hand on the beach, and following an investigation into the hand's former owner; it comes to light that it once belonged to the mother of the restaurant family...

The film starts off slowly, and I can't say that I was enjoying it too much by the end of the first half. However, things really pick up in the second half and by the end we are treated to what is surely one of the most brutal murder sequences ever committed to screen! There's a distinct element of pitch black humour to the film, and this is shown through the bumbling police officers and even some of the murder scenes themselves. The way that the film is shot is fairly stylish and certain sequences; such as the one that sees the main character welding a huge butcher's knife, are very memorable. The Untold Story does a good job of drawing the audience into the central character's story, and this is why the second half of the film works better than the first. The title of the film comes from the fact that our murderer tries his best not to divulge the story surrounding the murders to the police, and the torturous sequences that see the fuzz trying to get it out of him add nicely to the brutal atmosphere of the film. Overall, this is a great slice of nasty cinema. Since it's one of the better known 'Cat III' films, I guess all the experienced viewers will already have seen it; but if you've never seen a Cat III film, this looks like as good a place as any to start!

Even though Hong Kong movies are never as good looking or slick made as an Hollywood production, it produced a couple of great little movies. "Baat sin faan dim ji yan yuk cha siu baau" is simple one of those great movies, mostly because of its sick story.

Movies focusing on serial killers are often good and interesting ones to watch, especially when they are done as well as this one. The movie is not really made great by its directing, acting or writing but more due to its violence and graphic straight-forward approach.

The movie features a couple of pretty graphic and sick moments, that makes this movie stand out in its genre. It's one of those movies that got banned in numerous countries at the time of its release and is heavily cut in others. Not that it's the most shocking more around but the movie does have its moments that will make some people's stomach turn.

In the beginning the movie its storytelling doesn't feel balanced out well enough. On the one hand it focus on the movie its killer and on the other on the police investigators. The two don't always mix well and it feels a bit disjointed. This gets better as the movie progresses but it always still remains a problem of the movie. The movie also gets less great toward its ending, when its perhaps starting to drag a bit.

Because the movie picks a more light and comical approach at times, you're able to forgive the movie its rather cheap look and production values. Had the movie been done completely serious the movie would had probably been not as effective, although it of course also prevents this movie from being a classic movie within its genre.

Overall the movie remains a surprisingly good one, despite all of its obvious flaws and 'cheap' Hong Kong style of film-making.

8/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

THE UNTOLD STORY, like many reviewers have already noted, will stay with you for a long time. The basic storyline: Anthony Wong (in a masterful performance) portrays a sociopathic/psychopathic restaurant "owner" with a penchant for rape and murder. Wong takes over and claims ownership of the 8 Immortals Restaurant after he murders the real owner and his family (in one of the most brutal scenes ever put to film...) following a card game. From there Wong tries to legitimately take ownership of the restaurant but is unable, since the true owner is nowhere to be found to sign-off on the legal documents. Suspicions arise as the local police are sent letters from family members inquiring to the whereabouts of the missing owner. The police go to the restaurant and question Wong and his cashier, and notice that something seems "off". Upon further investigation, the police begin to put the story together, and THE UNTOLD STORY is finally revealed in all its horrific glory... First off, this is a well written, well acted, interesting film. I know that almost every other reviewer had a serious problem with the "comedic" elements in the film, but personally I feel that they really don't overshadow the film itself at all and are not as prevalent or annoying as other reviewers have noted. I think it is used to lighten the tone of the film a little, but to also show the dynamic between people who are constantly together, day and night, due to the nature of their profession. I don't think the good-natured (though admittedly sexist) ribbing of the female cop from her male counterparts is truly "harassing" in nature (though here in the States she'd definitely have cause for a lawsuit...) - I think it's more of a way to make her feel like "one of the guys" while still acknowledging her sexual differences. I think any female who has taken a profession in what might have once been considered a "man's field" can probably relate. THE UNTOLD STORY also delivers on the brutal and gory level. There are several scenes that are really rough, including: chopstick rape, rusty bucket wrist slicing, soda can tab wrist slicing, limb dismemberment, human meat grinding, and the infamous family slaugther scene. This scene in particular will have most casual horror-goers gouging their own eyes out, and even the more jaded of us sickos out there will have a hard time not being repulsed by the graphic, on-screen murder of an entire family, including several very young children. I have to say, I really, really like this film. THE UNTOLD STORY is a lot better made than many of the Cat III HK sickies, and works on more than just an exploit film level. It is definitely not for anyone who can't truly handle the above-mentioned types of images, but may prove to be a real treat for the more "discerning" (that is to say "depraved") viewers out there. There have been several inferior copy-cats of this film out there, this one is the real-deal. Highly recommended 9/10