Background
The Milkyway Image film production
company made three extremely dark crime movies in 1998 (the others being The
Longest Nite and A Hero Never Dies). Expect the
Unexpected was generally hated by local audiences, according to Tim
Youngs (Another
Hong Kong Movie Page), in part because of its bleak outlook on the
inability of the police to combat criminals from Mainland
China.
It is the last film directed by the very
promising Patrick Yau Tai-Chi as of this writing.
Foreground
The linchpin of the story is the
attempted robbery of a jewelry store by an incompetent gang of
thieves. That crime quickly intertwines with the activities of
another, more deadly gang operating in the same neighborhood. We
watch, riveted, as the police attempt to capture both gangs. The
interaction between members of the "O" (for Organized Crime)
Department are portrayed with humor and grace as their characters are
sketched out and then developed. Their skirmishes with the criminals
are depicted realistically and violently.
As the investigations continue, romances
are revealed which ultimately drive the plot forward. Excellent
performances are given by Lau Ching-Wan, Simon Yam, Ruby Wong, Hui Siu
Hung, Raymond Wong (as members of the "O" Department squad), Lam
Suet (as a member of the incompetent gang), and Yo Yo Mung as a love
interest.
The
cinematography by Ko Chiu Lam never features too much sunlight while
keeping things relatively bright, even at night. Cacine Wong's
synthesizer-driven music has a nice spark to it that fits well.
Patrick Yau Tai-Chi is an inventive director and this is the most
accomplished of his three films to date.
The film is rated Category IIB with much
blood, explicit gunshot violence, and extremely unpleasant crime scenes.
DVD: look, sound, and features
The Universe transfer (2.35 to 1) is
excellent. Colors are vibrant and the black levels are deep.
The picture looks sharp.
The Cantonese Dolby 5.1 audio track
sounded good with fine directionality in the surrounds. A Mandarin Dolby 5.1 audio
track
is also provided. Traditional and simplified
Chinese removable subtitles are provided in addition to English; the English titles
are large, white, easy to read, but they sometimes fly by too fast to read
and many mistakes are obvious.
Eight chapters are listed in a nice
full-motion menu. Filmographies are included for Lau Ching-Wan,
Simon Yam, Patrick Yau Tai Chi, and Johnny To. The
original trailer is also here (with spoilers galore), as well as three features (all in
Cantonese without subtitles, unfortunately, for those who don't speak the
language): "Interviews with the Stars" (Johnny To, Yo Yo
Mung, Ruby Wong, Raymond Wong), "Premiere Footage," and "NG Footage" (silent outtakes).
Buy, rent, or pass?
Buy. A film that lives up to its
title and then some -- an action film with mostly believable characters
that left me staring at the screen in astonishment when it ended.
Demands multiple viewings.
(Reviewed 12/27/00)
