EXILED (2006)
The old clichés of betrayal and brotherhood, gangsters trying to escape fate, or even just a gold heist are nothing new. But if they can be dismantled and reassembled with enough flair perhaps adding a few eccentric touches and a bit of a Wild West flavour, perhaps someone could make something interesting. That certain someone is Johnnie To. He's a storyteller who has used these ingredients before of course, but by taking a different approach the results are pretty compelling. Which is odd considering that the basic synopsis sounds like just another triad movie about hired killers and vengeful crime bosses. But this misdirect is one of many throughout the running time.
Everyone is looking for Wo (Nick Cheung) but he's not at home. He's apparently done something to upset his former employer Boss Fay (Simon Yam) and there are several goons waiting outside his house. Simply settling down and living with his wife and child isn't on the cards. But why are there two groups of gang members outside, apparently with different motives? Tai (Francis Ng) is here to put a bullet between Wo's eyes, while Blaze (Anthony Wong) is here to prevent this. Most of To's favourite actors soon arrive, including familiar faces like gunman Fat (Lam Suet) and cowardly cop Shan (Shiu Hung Hui). Guns are loaded, shots are fired, and a lot of smoky chaos unfolds. But here is where the story takes another turn.
Soon both groups of killers and their intended target are helping Wo's wife Jin (Josie Ho) furnish their new family home. It seems that nobody really wants bloodshed at all, and they're all friends who would rather eat a good meal and reminisce about old times. When the dust settles and the door flipping action comes to an end they sit around and take group photos. The whole story has this kind of tonal shift back and forth between sentimental and bloodthirsty. But the idea of reluctant killers and problems that they would rather avoid fuels a lot of tension. It also adds to the genuine nature of their friendship, even if the idea of trying to avoid taking orders from their insane superiors is foolish.
There's an ironic touch to the proceedings as the gang soon find themselves trying to save Wo instead of killing him. They try to lay low in a seedy hotel, only to be lured into another paid assassination. They don't seem very enthusiastic about a hired hit, but initially choose this over a robbery. Of course nothing goes to plan and the attempt on the life of Boss Keung (Ka Tung-Lam) leads to more problems. The futile nature of their journey is often highlighted by strange coincidences, as they fall from good luck into bad. The circular nature of the underworld is often unavoidable as escape attempts lead back to the gold convoy. A recurring gag about cars that won't start sums up their whole plight.
The visual nature of the film suggests that the central ensemble are cool dudes with long coats and huge guns. But as they stumble through deserts and jungles it's a possibility that they're just losers trying to rekindle days gone by. The sepia coloured visuals and the guitar licks in the score hint at bombastic Western vibe. It's something which is added to by the Macau architecture. One character even arrives in the third act to play a harmonica. There are a lot of stand-offs and shoot outs. All the flying fabric and spraying red mist adds to the slick aesthetic. But Fay easily takes Blaze down a peg or two by asking him about the failed job and why he's wearing sunglasses indoors. At night.
It's clear that there are a lot of false fronts at work. How can the brothers get away with these new job if they can't even escape their old boss? As things go awry it's clear that they will never be able to walk off into the sunset. Moments of camp-fire camaraderie and drunken shenanigans in a photo-booth are enjoyed in the face of the inevitable. These little moments and snapshots, some literal, can't hold back the looming threat. There's a strange dream logic to the story, or perhaps it's just the haze of alcohol consumption. Jin is left behind but quickly finds the exact hotel the men used. Fay is always waiting behind the next door. It's something which is accentuated by the red dust in place of blood.
One gun fight in is in the middle of a back alley surgeon's office during which more than one character is on heavy pain killers. Fay, in danger of being castrated, stumbles back into the line of fire apparently driven by outrage alone. The final battle, brought to you by Red Bull, descends further into anarchy and delirium. Everyone seems to be high on nostalgia or booze from one scene to the next, instead of taking the easy option to get away. The end result is a messy but strangely heartfelt tale of male bonding and strained alliances. It may or may not be an allegory for tensions over the Macau handover from Portugal, but that's a discussion for elsewhere. In the end it's a quirky mixture of heroic bloodshed and gangster tropes, but the ingredients are used in an engrossing fashion.
4/5
BONUS REVIEW
FULLTIME KILLER (2001)
It's now time to go back to the 1990s. Leon, Point Break and The Matrix? It might be a film released two years into the next decade, but the story seems focused on old pop culture moments. So do the characters involved. Just check out all the Snoopy figurines. Video store clerk Chin (Kelly Lim) finds herself trapped between two rival assassins. Ito (Takashi Sorimachi) the melancholy Japanese killer and movie obsessed Lok, the hitman from Hong Kong (Andy Lau). One is the best at what he does and it's not very nice. The other loves his job and wants to be the top dog. The two characters reflect the frenetic tone of the story and also it's entertainment value, which is frequently high.
The style of the film adds to this vibe, as it zooms between shots of typewriters and CGI blood cells. Figaro plays as body guards receive shotgun blasts to their knees. The Ode to Joy is also used during a climactic sequence. Elsewhere a storyline from Hard Boiled plays out as detective Lee (Simon Yam) looks for clues in a library. Is Lok the best of the best or is he an epileptic failure who can't tell fact from fiction? The content of the film suggests a lot of this is in his imagination, or perhaps another unreliable narrator. Which would explain some of the outlandish moments throughout. As he says himself 'it's not the best movie, but I like the style.'
Purely as a popcorn action movie it's pretty compelling, but this added layer keeps things interesting. The human factor really works, even if it's not always clear what Chin's motives are. Her second job as Ito's cleaner, though she doesn't realise it, is due to a prior tragedy in his apartment. He watches in fear and communicates through notes. Lok's compulsion to win and be number one, in spite of his illness, comes from a relatable place. The detective story has a melancholy conclusion that feels more desperate than victorious, offering some intriguing ideas. Add a lot of grenades, nicotine, fire hoses and other assorted tools of destruction; it's a potent mixture. The result may be style over substance for some, but there is a good character foundation to all the mayhem.
4/5
