A man raised in Cambodia to fight and die in gladiatorial like fights is brought to Hong Kong in order to kill someone. After the hit goes down he finds himself being chased by a police detective who is probably even more messed up than he is.
As a technical achievement this film is a triumph. It looks great and has a style thats all it own. Its in your face style keeps you riveted and abused. In an almost real way you're there being beaten about. This is, in its way one of the best looking films to come out of Asia in 2006.
As an viewing experience this is a tough film to take. From the opening frames its clear that this is not going to be a happy story and its tale of revenge and escape becomes even harder to take. This is a bleak tale that has no hope anywhere in it. The action sequences are gritty and realistic with an edge that makes them more a slap in the face than spectacle of entertainment. People bleed and die horrible deaths. No good deed goes unpunished nor is any bad deed not made worse by circumstance. Its a trip into a world where there is no light. After awhile it becomes an endurance test to see who's going to expire first the audience or the people on the screen. As good as the film is, and it is good, it all becomes too much, especially when you kind of know how its going to come out.
Worth a look for those who can deal with the violence and the utter despair. (should probably be an 8 out of 10 but its just so bleak)
As a technical achievement this film is a triumph. It looks great and has a style thats all it own. Its in your face style keeps you riveted and abused. In an almost real way you're there being beaten about. This is, in its way one of the best looking films to come out of Asia in 2006.
As an viewing experience this is a tough film to take. From the opening frames its clear that this is not going to be a happy story and its tale of revenge and escape becomes even harder to take. This is a bleak tale that has no hope anywhere in it. The action sequences are gritty and realistic with an edge that makes them more a slap in the face than spectacle of entertainment. People bleed and die horrible deaths. No good deed goes unpunished nor is any bad deed not made worse by circumstance. Its a trip into a world where there is no light. After awhile it becomes an endurance test to see who's going to expire first the audience or the people on the screen. As good as the film is, and it is good, it all becomes too much, especially when you kind of know how its going to come out.
Worth a look for those who can deal with the violence and the utter despair. (should probably be an 8 out of 10 but its just so bleak)