Time and Tide

The new film from the man who pretty much launched the careers of Jet Li, John Woo *and* Chow Yun-Fat (pretty damn impressive resumé) and Tsui Hark returns with a vengeance. A *very* interesting and intricate film, with masterful performances by Nicholas Tse and Wu Bai.

The one major issue with this film: a very tight plot, but horrible transition. The film was all over the place, and any lax viewer will get easily lost. The explanations are few, and one really has to pay attention to grab necessary details - a difficult endeavour considering the rapid shots and fast pace.

The cinematography is really brilliant, though. Some of the shots were magnificent, and very creative, especially the scene at the apartment complex.

Here's one quick question to ask, though: who the heck was that old chinese sniper apparently working with the Angels?? Just curious, as he keeps popping up with no apparent introduction or purpose...

Anyhow, this film had me talking for days about how good it was, it's definitely worth watching. A must see for any HK action fan. If it wasn't for the sloppy transition and need for a bit of clarity, it could easily have been a perfect ten. 8/10.

The first time I saw this was on Cable TV at 2 AM. I stayed up because I had never heard of the movie before, and the summary said that Nic Tse (one of my favorite young HK actors) was the lead role. Plus, it's directed by Tsui Hark - who has done excellent work with The Legend Of Zu and other such movies. So, I felt inclined to watch. I had almost fallen asleep, but as soon as the opening credits kicked in, I was wide awake.

The following are some statements that ran through my head while watching...

"Hey, the main character isn't invincible!" "Alleyway full of grenades?! This won't be pretty." "Wow, shopping mall action! Escalators are more fun than I thought!" "Oh my GOD... Are they having a gunfight on the side of a building?" "Refrigerators: Sensible AND Safe!" "I need to go to a Cantonpop show!"

There were plenty more, you can trust me on that. Needless to say, I went out the next day and bought the DVD. I have watched Time and Tide over 10 times now, and it still hasn't gotten dull. I guess this movie just ended up being that entertaining. It gets my highest recommendation - so go out and see it. Go on, do yourself a favor and see what HK cinema is really capable of!

"Time And Tide" Caught My Attention, And Never Let Go. It Still HAS My Attention, I Think.

The only thing about this movie I didn't understand was why people found it incoherent (not a single mainstream reviewer got it). It's not linear, paint-by-numbers Hollywood exposition - but there IS a definite plot and if you pay attention there's actually some very nice subtle storytelling. Surrounded of course by some very kinetic, "let's see you rip this off" action scenes. Tsui Hark is out ahead of the curve again.

I really thought I would like this movie. It's Hong Kong action, which I love, and it was directed by Tsui Hark, who has directed some really good examples of the genre.

However, I was sorely let down. Yes, some of the action sequences are creatively staged and shot, and are unlike any action sequences in American movies. They were entertaining - but I could only get so involved in them. For one thing, a lot of them are so confusing, that I wasn't sure who was who, who wanted to do what, and who was after who. The editing and zippy camera movements really make it hard to get a hold of things like that at times.

And speaking of confusing....the script provided the most confusion. I did understand the core plotlines enough. But subplots and character motivations were extremely jumbled. At times, things seem to be introduced with no explanation (like the opening robbery sequence - I wasn't sure who was on each side, and what they were exactly trying to do!) Some actions by the characters come with no explanation, and some characters exit the movie before their motivations are fully explained.

As well, I didn't care for the two protagonists - they just seemed like long-haired punks to me, with nothing that compelled you to see what they would do (unlike, say, the hit man in THE KILLER.)

Tsui Hark needs to look back on his earlier movies, where there were more understandable stories, and action sequences that didn't scramble your brain with rapid editing and breakneck camera moves. When he does that, I'll be first in line for his subsequent movie.

Tsui Hark is a great cinematographer. As a director, though, his movies tend to suffer from two things - jerkiness and confusion. The latter usually stems from the former, that is, scenes often lack any sort of transition, but are put together too abruptly. So it can be hard to figure out just what the heck is going on, nor does it let the plot sink in. He tends to focus more on visuals than trying to convey a coherent story.

Time & Tide definitely suffers from his trademark style. It's often tricky to follow just what is happening. That said, there is a very good movie in here, although the main character, the young punk bodyguard, is not particularly likable.

The action scenes are quite unique, especially the fight in the tenement apartment building. I don't think I've seen anything like that.

On the down side, some of the movie, the parts trying to fill out the lives of the 2 main heroes and their pregnant women was sort of a snoozer and something of a cheap way to make the characters more interesting.