The Longest Nite

a convoluted crime film about a convoluted organisation of horrifying, unintelligible power. irredeemable bastards become 'heroes' by virtue of being doomed pawns in their boss' game. tony leung and sean lau, just a couple of balls bouncing through a haze of bullets and glass; both assert power over small fry in amazing automobile-related set-pieces, but when aiming their guns at each other they find only their own reflections. someone else--older, smarter, deadlier--is truly at the wheel.

Magnanimous and brutal. Tony Leung appears to be a little out of his element, sleepwalking through this nightmare, but damn can Lau Ching-wan hold a charismatic intensity. It's infectious.

This didn't really feel like a Johnnie To film and I'm not sure just how much he directed versus the other co-director Tat-Chi Yau. The are a few flashes of To's directing flare but for the most part, this was a very stripped-down understated corrupt cop, mystery, noir film. The acting is good but also understated, the story would've worked better for me with a bit more flare or character background but this was still an entertaining and enjoyable grimy crime film.

One of my favorite noir movies of all time. Not at all for people who need heroes, the cast is basically bastards all around, but played with incredible charisma by some of the best actors worldwide. Nihilistic, brutal, hypnotic.

"Directed by Johnnie To", not directed by Johnnie To.