Opening Day: 1 November 2007

Synopsis:

Life has not been kind to SAM (Simon Yam), FAI (Louis Koo) and MOK (Sun Hong Lei) as they struggle to make ends meet. Routine visits to bars seem to be their only way out of miseries.

Until a stormy evening when a mysterious old man appears before them with a tip: An ancient treasure is buried under the high-security Legislative Building. All they have to do is sneak in and retrieve it; if they believe in his story.

Sam, Fai and Mok agree to make a run for the treasure to test their fate. What they uncover is beyond anything they expected: An ancient coffin containing a ceremonial robe made of gold!

According to Mok, who deals antiques, the robe is worth millions. The thought of getting rich puts the three men's friendship to test, as their minds are beset by greed, fear and suspicion...

The treasure also attracts the attention of others. LING (Kelly Lin), whose marriage with Sam is on the verge of collapse, plans to steal the robe and run away with her lover WEN (Lam Ka Tung). Even Mainland hit men want a piece of the action.

All eyes are set on the treasure. Whoever will go to the extreme will become its owner. Between survival, wealth and friendship, Sam, Fai and Mok will ultimately have to make a choice…

Movie Review:

What joy it must have been to work with two of your closest friend in the industry. We are sure this was the sentiment of directors Tsui Hark, Ringo Lam and Johnnie To when they decided to collaborate on this special project that will be remembered as Hong Kong filmmaking industry’s most unique experiments yet.

Hark (Seven Swords, Once Upon a Time in China), Lam (Full Alert, Prison on Fire) and To (PTU, Election) first met at Hong Kong’s TVB television station some 30 years ago.

The serial film consists of three parts, each running at around 30 minutes and helmed by each director without others’ intervention or intrusion. Each director took over from where the previous one left off, and the resultant film is a compelling picture that will appeal to both fans of the individual directors, and also fans Hong Kong cinema.

The 93-minute film basically follows three friends as they uncover a buried treasure, and the misadventures they have along the way.

In what we think is the most difficult segment to direct, Hark opens the picture with a tad too many characters and plot lines to introduce to the unaware viewer. But as the movie picks up pace, the audience will be comfortably settled into the protagonists’ motivations, as well as the main plot of the action thriller. The setup is well developed as the viewer is eventually led into a conflict faced by the characters.

Although not properly bookmarked, we think Lam takes over the character development where we see the web of relationships between the main and supporting characters. Personalities and temperaments are fleshed out nicely with both casual banters and heated dialogues amongst the characters.

And in what we think is the most signature of the three segments, To concludes the film with a noir approach, where the characters are situated in one single location, and interestingly set-up circumstances bring the film to an entertainingly thought-provoking end.

Expect top-rate production values from this movie – in terms of its engagingly choreographed action sequences, its artistically-shot chiaroscuro cinematography and its enigmatically exciting music underscore.

Of course, kudos goes to the cast of reliable actors like the subdued Simon Yam (Exiled, Eye in the Sky), the increasingly showy Louis Koo (Election, Happy Birthday) and the comfortably composed Sun Hong-lei (Blood Brothers, Happy Times). The supporting cast of the vulnerable Kelly Lin (After This Our Exile, My Left eye Sees Ghosts), the increasingly likeable Lam Ka Tung (Hooked on You, Brothers) and the always amusing Lam Suet (Invisible Target, Election 2) are the icing on the already fine platter of actors in this glossily produced thriller that fans of Hong Kong cinema are bound to enjoy.

Movie Rating:

(A sleek and entertaining thriller concocted by three of Hong Kong’s finest masters of filmmaking)

Review by John Li