Chuen jik sat sau (2001)

Directors:

Johnny To
Ka-Fai Wai

Writers:

Ho-Cheung Pang (novel)
Ka-Fai Wai (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

3 August 2001 (Hong Kong)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

A story of two killers with different ideals...

Plot:

Two very different hitmen find themselves to be in each other's way. They use all their skill to solve the problem.

Plot Keywords:

E Mail | Tension | Photograph | Policemen | Busan

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Andy Lau	...	Lok Tok-Wah
Takashi Sorimachi	...	O
Simon Yam	...	Albert Lee
Kelly Lin	...	Chin
Cherrie Ying	...	Gigi
Suet Lam	...	Fat Ice (as Lam Suet)
Teddy Lin	...	C7 (as Teddy Li)

Also Known As:

Full Time Hitman (Hong Kong: English title) (working title)
Fulltime Killer (Hong Kong: English title)
Quan zhi sha shou (Hong Kong: Mandarin title)
You & I (Hong Kong: English title) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for pervasive strong violence, some language and brief nudity.

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

English | Mandarin | Japanese | Cantonese | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Spain:18 | Malaysia:18SG | Iceland:16 | Australia:R | New Zealand:R18 | France:-12 | Germany:18 | Hong Kong:IIB | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Bangkok, Thailand

Company:

Team Work Motion Pictures Ltd.

Trivia:

During the movie theater sequence, the trailer for Cheung fo (1999) can be seen playing, which is another film made by Johnny To.

Quotes:

Tok: I love trailers. They represent the best a movie has to offer. Just like when you die, your life flashes before your eyes.

Movie Connections:

References Eraser (1996)

Soundtrack:

Dramatic Ire

Full Time Killer is an existential action thriller

It is the story of two professional assassins who live to kill. Both are act without remorse or second thoughts, are highly effective and completely relentless. Takashi Sorimachi plays O, the Japanese killer who is considered the best in his (admittedly limited) field. He kills efficiently, dispatching the target, his bodyguards and anyone who could identify him. He is quick, clean and much in demand by those who employ him. Andy Lau is Tok, a Chinese killer who wants to replace O but who is considered too showy and flamboyant. When O executes a hit he simply walks away and disappears into the crowd. Tok escapes on a stolen motorcycle while a police station explodes in the background.

They are brought together by Tok's envy of O and Tok's desire to replace him as the most sought after assassin in Asia. While they stalk and spy on each other, they are also linked by Miss Chin, played by the gorgeous Kelly Lin. She is O's housekeeper and Tok's girlfriend. Simon Yam is Inspector Lee of Interpol who leads a team going after both of the killers and who (literally in one case) are always just a step behind them.

There are references galore to other movies: El Mariachi and Desperado, Blood Simple, Hard Boiled, Point Break, The Godfather, Samurai and probably plenty of others that I missed. Even the Warner Brothers cartoons of Chuck Jones are referenced—one of the more outrageous assassinations by Tok has "Largo Factorum" from The Barber of Seville accompanying the action, in much the same way that Bugs Bunny committed mayhem to the tune of Mozart, Wagner or Rossini.

The action scenes are excellent. There are cars that blow up when shot, pistols that are accurate at 500 yards and huge shotguns that appear from beneath short leather jackets but even with these clichés the action set pieces created by Johnny To are exciting, fast paced, very violent and seamlessly shot and edited.

Sorimachi is properly dour and brooding, almost phlegmatic. His understated acting personifies the loneliness and isolation of his character. Lau, in keeping with his character, has a much more florid style—Tok could be a full time smirker as well as a full time killer.

While not exactly a return to heroic bloodshed—there aren't any heroes here—Fulltime Killer uses many of that genre's conventions. Very much worth seeing and recommended.