VENGEANCE (2009)
While some of Johnnie To's films have a fresh take on old themes and tropes, or a new perspective, others feel more like ideas he wanted to revisit. Such is the case with Vengeance, a story that feels like another take on the ideas from Exiled. So it's back to Macau for another tale of brotherhood and bloodshed with yet another crime boss played by To regular Simon Yam. However, it's not just a series of familiar faces and situations, there are plenty of original and creative moments. More importantly the execution still feels fresh in plenty of sequences.
Francis Costello (French rock and roll star Johnny Hallyday, in place of Alain Delon who refused the part) is out for revenge after the brutal murder of his son-in-law and his grandchildren. After a shock opening the only survivor is his daughter (Sylvie Testud) who provides some clues to what happened; one of the killers lost an ear during all the shooting. Francis claims that he's 'just a chef' but of course that's another very familiar cliché for anyone that's seen a story like this before. There's also a suggestion that he's got growing memory problems and has to write down notes on Polaroid photos.
This is expanded on later but, unlike the originator Memento where this was key to the story, it's never really focused on. If there's a major flaw in the narrative it's that his head injury is brought up during a random scene half way through the film, and isn't really dwelled on. Sometimes he needs to remember friends and allies, but only occasionally. It's really only here to take away from his thirst for revenge during the third act and question if it's purpose was ever meaningful. Which at least adds a melancholy angle to the proceedings and raises questions about the the pointless nature of violence.
The friends in question are also familiar as Francis meets (by chance) assassins Kwai (Anthony Wong), Fay Lok (Lam Suet, referred to as Fatty by his friends as usual) and Chu (Gordon Lam). The latter two might be dubbed when they speak English but their characters are the same as ever. Still, it's an entertaining dynamic as they hang out during missions and spend time eating pasta. Later there's more food as the gang find out that a different trio of killers are responsible; reflecting both their own ethos and the same kind of brotherhood themes from To's other projects.
Things soon get complicated as the story reaches Hong Kong and the opposing sides (to nobody's surprise) find that they have the same boss. Is either group truly bad or are they just men of conviction? Is it better to have loyalty to the triads, each other, or just the last person to pay the bill? Can hired killers ever be the good guys at all? There's nothing new here when even the red dust used for blood is is repeated from Exiled. But it's still engaging as difficulties arise and neither side seems to have the upper hand.
As things spiral out of control the action remains stylish, as does the rest of the story. The pseudo-Western visuals have been replaced by wet city streets and neon, which lends the movie its own identity. The action beats are all distinct as the shoot-outs move from moonlit forests (sometimes completely in the dark) to rainy streets. A bizarre showdown in a garbage dump, using what seems to be bales of paper as shields, is the most memorable of these, although a finale in which a gang of children help Francis is also adds to the eccentric tone.
However, the overall mood is pretty sombre thanks to Hallyday's brooding performance. He's not exactly a charismatic lead next to the likes of Anthony Wong, but his weathered features and stylish trench-coat lend the character a certain presence. As the standard confused tourist in a foreign land (and later as a confused man in general) it works for the material and for the international casting appeal. Which again suggests this is all a cynical exercise in re-using old ideas for a different market, but the results are entertaining beyond the sum of these parts.
4/5
BONUS REVIEW
RUNNING ON KARMA (2003)
Elsewhere this Andy Lau vehicle seems more like a throwback to the Full-time Killer days when Johnnie To and Wai Ka-fai shared directing duties. Which is to say the results are far more strange and comedic as disparate genres and tones crash together. It's essentially a crime thriller with grotesque murder scenes, but it's also a supernatural comedy, a mystical Buddhist tale, and even a kind of superhero story in some ways. There are a lot of incredible scenes and ideas included here as a result, but how well this all comes together in the third act is debatable.
Big (Andy Lau in a muscle suit) is a former monk, part-time stripper and boxer, and occasional immigrant. He can also see 'karma' which means that if someone had a sinful past life he will see visions and can deduce their fate. This all adds up to psychic crime scene powers and super-strength, as well as a tragic backstory for good measure. Which might sound all over the place as he joins with Lee, (Cecilia Cheung) a struggling cop. But in between him being arrested and deported (multiple times) they somehow solve several cases involving criminals that have similar bizarre powers.
Holding this together is a slick and stylish procedural aesthetic. There are greasy burglars, and killers doing contortionist yoga, but despite the slapstick and acrobatic action it mostly works. However, it proves to be a problem when Lee's 'past life' catches up with her. It's oddly mean spirited and goes against the tone of Big's story. Rejecting faith to become a physical icon of the material world is pretty clever. But the stuff about the actions of someone decades (or longer) ago is more dubious, and it becomes more of a mixed bag as the story goes on. Overall it's still a fascinating (and entertaining) feature but these elements do cause a few issues.
3/5
