Rating: C+
Dir: Cheuk Pan Lee
Star: Irene Wan, Hanna Chan, Kenny Kwan, Eddie Chan
If this film has a Facebook relationship status, it would be “It’s complicated.” The story takes place in Hong Kong, where the Fuyu crime family is in crisis after the death of its patriarch Don. There’s no obvious successor: the two obvious candidates are Don’s adopted son, Tempest (Kwan), and his brother, Vulcan (Chan). But a wild card shows up, in the shapely shape of Don’s long-lost daughter Rain (veteran actress Wan), who returns suddenly after years off the grid. As a genuine blood heir, both Tempest and Vulcan are keen to get her on their side, although Rain’s sudden re-appearance may not be coincidence, and there are other elements at play too.
Firstly, she’s a meth addict herself, which renders her not the most reliable of allies. Secondly, she used to be an informant for the Hong Kong police, who are delighted to see her pop up back on the radar. Obviously, that’s not something Tempest or Vulcan can know about, and that leaves Rain in a tricky situation. She also has to go into the Golden Triangle with Vulcan, to try and renegotiate for raw materials, after an unfortunate, although convenient, road accident. It all leads to some final revelations, where we discover the truth about the past – this is not exactly linear – as well as the source of Rain’s drug habit. Since we first meet Rain, marching towards her father’s memorial service (top) at the head of what looks like a SWAT team…
This is moderately entertaining, and not much more. I was somewhat surprised to see a film like this come out of post-handback Hong Kong, because it feels like something from the early nineties. Albeit perhaps toned down. There are scenes where it feels the director may have wanted to make a Cat III film, but basically pussies out, particularly on the sex/nudity front. At least the violence is appropriately messy. On the other hand, the cinematography here is lush and occasionally excellent, giving proceedings a classy veneer, to an extent greater than they probably deserve. Even during the quasi-incestual sex scenes. So if the plot and characters aren’t entirely securing your attention, you can admire the photography, at least.
In the end though, it lives or dies on Rain. Although Wan’s performance is good, you’re never sure how much of what you’re being shown through the eyes of her character is genuine, and how much is just drug-induced paranoid delusion. In the movie’s favour, I did not see the big twist coming, and it’s impressive enough to make me wish we’d known about it from the start. There’s an entirely different, and arguably better, film in here, told from another perspective. That one might not have had the same sense of “seen it all before, only done better,” which is what eventually condemns this to the recycle bin of cinematic memory. Sometimes, it appears, you really cannot go back to the old days.