R E V I E W

Fulltime Killer

Deltamac | 2001 | 100 minutes
Directed by Johnny To and Wai Ka-Fai
Screenplay by Wai Ka-Fai and Joseph O'Bryan

With Andy Lau, Takashi Sorimachi, Kelly Lin, Simon Yam

B A C K G R O U N D
director, in cinemas, recent and related films

Wai Ka-Fai's debut as a director (the stylish Peace Hotel) was Chow Yun-Fat's last Hong Kong film to date. His second film was the wild Too Many Ways to Be No. 1 in 1997. He then concentrated on producing duties for Milkyway Image partners Patrick Yau (The Longest Nite and Expect the Unexpected) and Johnnie To (A Hero Never Dies and Where a Good Man Goes). Wai and To's first co-directing effort was the very popular (and critically acclaimed) Needing You; they followed that up with Help!!!, Wu Yen, and Love on a Diet.

The extremely busy Andy Lau has acted in more than 100 films; in recent years he has slowed down a bit and taken on producing roles, first for arthouse director Fruit Chan and now for himself (last year's A Fighter's Blues as well as Fulltime Killer).

The film opened in Hong Kong cinemas in August 2001.

M O V I E

plot
Two killers are pitted against each other, highlighting their different approaches to the assassination game. Andy Lau essays Tok, an ambitious and glamorous professional; Takashai Sorimachi plays the haunted O, a killer who likes to fly under the radar and suffers a lonely lifestyle as a result. Their lives inevitably intersect as the tale progresses. Kelly Lam portrays Chin, a seemingly self-effacing video store clerk who picks up extra cash by cleaning O's apartment.

Of course, you can't have criminals without police chasing them, and Simon Yam embodies Lee, a well-respected Interpol inspector who becomes obsessed with the two assassins as he pursues them through a multitude of locales. Also featured are Cherrie Ying as Gigi, a junior Interpol inspector, and Teddy Lin as C7, Tok's brother and also the "manager" for O.

production
So shiny and bright it hurts your eyes. The latest endeavor by Johnny To and Wai Ka-Fai harkens back to the style of films that the pair directed individually during the "glory years" of Milkyway Image Productions (1997-1999).

The colorful gun battle scenes and nihilistic characters blow to smithereens most recent American attempts at the action genre (e.g. the "character arc-by-numbers" Behind the Lines). That's not saying much, though. Rub the surface a little and you realize you're looking at a tin man without a heart. Lacking ambiguity, depth, or even a consistent world view, Fulltime Killer feels like an effort by its co-directors to remember what motivated them to make their edgy low-budget crime films in the first place. Unfortunately all that remains is the chalk outline of a story lying dead on the pavement.

Perhaps it's best to think of this misbegotten misfit as a star vehicle (for Andy Lau) adapted from a best-selling book (according to the DVD notes). If this flick suddenly appeared on a multiplex screen here in America this weekend, I'd be there in a heartbeat. I'd eat my popcorn and drink in the dynamic surround sound and marvel at how many other movies are openly quoted during the brisk running time. And I would savage it mercilessly in the lobby afterwards.

Guy Zerafa composed the routine music. Cheng Siu-Keung (most of the Milkway Image canon) served as director of photography and it was an excellent job he did, with sharp colors rendered varied and vital. David Richardson edited.

rating
Category IIB for many explicit and bloody scenes of gunshot and other violence.

D V D

look
The letterboxed (approximately 1.85:1) presentation is excellent. Black levels are deep, colors are well saturated, and flesh tones appear natural. The source print evidences some wear, with occasional speckles and dust.

sound
Four audio tracks are featured: Cantonese DD 5.1 and DTS, Mandarin DD 5.1 and DTS. The Cantonese tracks include dialogue in English, Japanese, and Mandarin. The sound field is expansive and dynamic -- everything you would hope for in an action movie.

subtitles
The white (with black backing) removable English subtitles are very easy to read and well timed with few apparent mistakes. Although the subtitles remain on for the English dialogue, this is actually helpful since the English speakers are heavily accented, for the most part. Also included are traditional and simplified Chinese subtitles.

features
Twelve chapters can be selected from a very stylish two-page video capture menu. Also included: "Behind the Scenes," "Making Of," the original theatrical trailer, director and cast information, and a photo gallery.

R E C O M M E N D A T I O N
buy, rent, or pass?

Rent. Individual action sequences, yanked out of the narrative flow, stand out. Taken as a whole, however, the characters and the story are unappealing.

(Reviewed 12/18/01)

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