Expect the unexpected

I was totally taken off guard by the end of this movie, and several of the twists in the middle. At the same time, it all made perfect sense, it wasn't absurdist or anything. On the contrary, it was a very gritty. The action was of the kind of action that made you glad you really never get in gun fights. The romance was kind of silly, but I like Hong Kong romance humor. This wasn't the best movie I've ever seen, but if you're in the mood for some crime, this is a pretty good bet.

A police unit, led nominally by Simon Yam and smokey-eyed Lau Ching-Wan, pursue two gangs, each heavily armed and dangerous, not least of all to themselves. Expect the Unexpected begins conventionally enough, but a nudge to the plot here, a detail of characterization there, and the odd bit of unexpected humour, and before long the story is in territory at once familiar and unfamiliar. For the viewer the results are nothing less than exhilarating, like seeing an over-familiar genre through fresh, new eyes.

One interesting touch for a HK film released in May 1998: the mainland Chinese in one gang had come to Hong Kong due to economic difficulties back home. (One government, two systems in effect?)

Cacine Wong's routine and seemingly off-the-cuff soundtrack was the only really jarring element to Expect the Unexpected (the effects of low budget filmmaking in HK being pretty much a given these days). Other film scores by Wong include the very good spaghetti eastern-sounding Peace Hotel, co-written with Healthy Poon, and the equally good neo-noirish Too Many Ways to be Number One.

Your best chance of seeing Expect the Unexpected is on video or in a rep theater. But however you see it, and whether you come in expecting the unexpected, I think you'll be in for a pleasant surprise.

This flick starts off as a typical Hong Kong cop movie, with a dream team of post-unification stars as the good guys: Patrick Yau (who also directs), Lau Ching-Wan and Eric Tsang. There are all the staples -- nasty villains, a beautiful love interest, lots of gats blazing. But you know what? The predictable plot falls apart and leaves you agape, wondering what will happen next -- and the ending... well, I'll let you see the end for yourself.

Although most of Hong Kong's top talent has left for Hollywood, there has been a wave of interesting films from new directors like Patrick Yau who directed this sombering drama. The tune of the film shifts from drama to comedy to action back to comedy and finally to tragedy. The top performances were given by Simon Yam and Lau Ching-Wan as Police officers who are in love with the same woman. Expect The Unexpected along with The Longest Nite(1997) and The Odd One Dies(1997) show the emergence of another great director from Hong Kong. Expect The Unexpected(1998) is one of the best films in Hong Kong in the last ten years.

What makes this movie different from other Police dramas is it focuses more on the relationship the members of the Crime Unit have with each other and less with action scenes. Expect The Unexpected reminded me of the films of Takeshi Kitano in that like in his films the violence is sudden and tragic. The ending took me by surprise, but also impressed me because of the courage Patrick Yau had in filming this scene. The ending of Expect The Unexpected makes the finale of John Woo's The Killer(1989) look like a happy ending{This was the second time that Patrick Yau ended a film in irony(The Longest Nite(1997) was the other time)}. A good moment in the movie is when the waitress at the end is waiting for Lau Ching-Wan as she watches the news to learn of the Fate of the Hong Kong Crime Unit.

Personally when it comes to Johnnie To's early crime movies I find Ching Wan Lau character in "The Longest Nite" and "Running Out of Time" much more artfully crafted and intriguing. Similarly I favor Simon Yam in To's "The Mission" and "Fulltime Killer". I didn't fully accept the chemistry between Yam and Lau in this feature, which granted it is sufficient to deliver the plot, but in my opinion it just never reached the competitive potential it could have been. Regardless of where this movie ranks on To's overall filmography, it is still worth a watch as the tension is fierce and keeps the audience interested from start to finish.

It's a heist movie, and with a title like "Expect the Unexpected" it's going to have some twists. Good news, the twists do deliver. I won't mention any details about the plot because the synopsis is unbelievably simple as are the synopses for most of To's films, but the director's execution and his ability to gain strong feedback from the actors makes the viewing experience worthwhile. It does have some serious flaws though, my biggest complaint besides the chemistry between the two male leads are the amount of tonal shifts present. A romance subplot is thrown in, and the action scenes meshed with the romantic scenes don't blend very well. The movie takes the viewer through an unnecessary emotional roller coaster due to this romance subplot, and I feel it could have been handled in a more subtle manner, but that's always easier to say looking back in hindsight. -6/10

Johnnie To once again does an excellent job delivering a solid crime thriller which is still enjoyable to watch 15 years later. Didn't care for the premise but other fans might. Once again also from 1998 and by Johnnie To, I prefer "The Longest Nite" with Tony Leung and Ching Wan Lau, as I find this thriller haunting and much more effective with its twists. If you enjoy Expect the Unexpected definitely give the other a watch as they go hand in hand, and may To continue to do what he does best in the coming years. Thanks for reading.