Cheung fo (1999)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Johnnie To

Writer:

Nai-Hoi Yau (written by)

Release Date:

19 November 1999 (Hong Kong)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Five men. They appreciate each other's guts and wisdom, and they are always perfect partners in missions. But now, they'll have to hold their pistols at each other...

Plot:

Triad boss Lung, who has just escaped being killed in an assassination attempt hires the killers Curtis...

Plot Keywords:

Assassination Attempt | Triads | Kill | Punishment | Killer

Awards:

9 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Anthony Wong Chau-Sang	...	Curtis (as Anthony Wong)
Francis Ng	...	Roy (as Francis Wong)
Jackie Lui Chung-yin	...	Shin (as Jackie Lui)
Roy Cheung	...	Mike
Suet Lam	...	James (as Lam Suet)
Simon Yam	...	Frank
Tian-lin Wang	...	Fat Cheung (as Wong Tin Lan)
Eddy Ko	...	Lung (as Ko Hung)
Elaine Eca Da Silva	...	Lung's wife
Keiji Sato	...	Assassin (as Sato Keiji)
Wai Ai		(as Ai Wai)
Man Shing Yau	...	Lung's bodyguard (as Yau Man Shing)
Cub Chin	...	Saliva
Yick Tin Hung
Jerome Fung

Also Known As:

Qiang huo (Hong Kong: Mandarin title)
The Mission (Hong Kong: English title)

Runtime:

Japan:81 min

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Cantonese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

South Korea:18 | France:U | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB

Company:

Milky Way Image Company

Goofs:

Continuity: During the gun battle at the abandoned warehouse, the window is cracked by gunfire. After few gun shots, the bullet holes disappear.

Quotes:

Fat Cheung: The restaurant hasn't been doing well lately. I want to sell out my shares.
Lung: You don't have many shares left in the restaurant.
Fat Cheung: Well, forget it then.
Lung: How much do you want?
Fat Cheung: 30 million.
Lung: I'll transfer the money to your account tomorrow morning.
Fat Cheung: Thanks.
Lung: Don't do too much gambling.
Fat Cheung: [leaving] Okie dokie.

Movie Connections:

References Shichinin no samurai (1954)

Slick

Having sworn to never watch Hong Kong films, save those by Wong Kar Wei, the only reason I saw this film was the good reviews it received from the Hong Kong Film Critic Society. And I must admit it was a most pleasant surprise.

The film is a slick and well packaged story of five strangers in gangland coming together to get a job done, namely that of keeping a triad boss alive. The characters, while still stereotyped to a certain extent, are not the usually uncontrolled triad powermongers that are often portrayed in other less palatable fare. These people are professionals, and they knew how to get a job done. Faced with a sniper, none of them panic, and each of them know exactly what to do. The scene in the mall was tightly controlled and well orchestrated, with minimal movement and gun fire adding more to the tension then any hail of bullets can.

The direction of Johnnie To evokes images of films by John Woo, whose scenes of gun fights have always, in my opinion, verged on poetry in motion. To's characters are restrained, while the same degree of subtlety is employed with the plot. The audience, in my opinion an often mindless group who are unwilling to think and must be spoon fed every little detail, are left to find meanings and hints in little gestures.

The film also reminds me of Things To Do In Dallas, When You Are Dead. Five strangers, called together to serve a mob boss who is past his prime. And again, there is conflict among members of this special 'team'.

In the end, aside from a less than believable plot line, The Mission scores high on its entertainment value, both in its visual style and delivery.