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Vancouver Film Fest has started and we have word on Johnny To's MAD DETECTIVE!!!

Published at:  Oct 01, 2007 4:59:07 AM CDT

SPOILER ALERT !!

Ahoy, squirts! Quint here. I attended the Vancouver International Film Festival back in 2001 and had a great time at the fest. I was first introduced to the insane world of Takashi Miike at that fest and saw BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF there on the big screen for the first time as well.

We have a couple stories from the fest that I'm going to run tonight. I know our own Midol Girl is up in Vancouver and has been trying to get a press badge so she can bring us some reviews, but I think she's been running into some trouble.

While we try to get that sorted out, I'll start you off with a review of Johnny To's newest flick, MAD DETECTIVE. Johnny To's an interesting director... I remember being bowled over by FULLTIME KILLER, but it seems this new one might not be firing on all cylinders if "DarwinMayflower" has it right.



I did a bit of research before writing this review about Johnny To and Ka-Fai Wai and this film has interested me in seeing their previous works. I went to see Mad Detective without any sort of expectations except that the VIFF will entertain me. From the read of the write up of the film, it seemed a bit boring but I was pleasently surprised.

It's a criminal thriller with a young inspector named "Ho" who ends up seeking help from a genius but really batshit crazy and fired from the force detective named Bun. The case that Bun ends up helping the inspector on is when two cops go into a forest to chase down a suspect, but only one cop comes out alive. Now the one missing cop's gun is being used in multiple crimes and murders for the past 18 months. How Bun goes about trying to solve the case is both humourous and a bit disturbing while Ho himself wonders if it's even worth it in the end.

It's a good film overall, it won't blow your minds by any means. The ending is broadcasted halfway through the film, but there are some pretty humourous parts, including an very memorable introduction to Detective Ho when he was still solving crimes for the force. The problem I find with the film is that even though it does everything well, it doesn't really feel like anything new. There are some filmmakers that are able to make even the most simple story seem epic and genius; but with Mad Detective I never feel 100% sold with what they are presenting to me. Some stuff here and there seems derivative whereas there are other parts that are totally their own style.



Spoilers:




How they present the results of Ho's delusions or perhaps truthful obervations is a great take on the multiple personality disorder from previous films. There's a great scene where Ho has an encounter with his ex-wife and his imaginary wife (which is based off his ex-wife) at the same time which results in both of them leaving him alone and a scene where literally pisses on the suspect in the case only to have his ass whipped by one of his split personalties and then saved by the rest.




End spoilers



Of the entire film I do think that the actor who played Detective Bun did a spot on crazy person. In an media age where we all love the asshole who breaks all the rules, this is one who isn't doing it because he is an asshole; but because he just can't help it. It's because of that trait we seem to connect with him the most. It's still a good film to watch if only to waste some time during the afternoon, but I'd imagine that a lot of other people on here will enjoy it.

If you use this review you can call me DarwinMayflower



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    Readers Talkback

  • Oct 01, 2007 5:03:05 AM CDT

    Sounds good

    by mrfan

    might enjoy it

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 01, 2007 5:54:52 AM CDT

    Love Johnny To

    by wyrdy the gerbil

    recently saw both Exiled and Election didn`t think i would like them but i was so fucking wrong..i see no reason why i shouldn`t see this either.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 01, 2007 6:14:01 AM CDT

    Haven't seen any of To's stuff.

    by knuckleduster

    But from what I hear Election is pretty fuckin awesome. Is it really that good, or a bit overrated? Not better than Infernal Affairs, surely?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 01, 2007 2:43:23 PM CDT

    i'm in van

    by deadwood dan

    and i bought tix. can't aicn spring some cash for their so-called spy in dire emergencies?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 01, 2007 6:14:18 PM CDT

    Fulltime Killer, one of the most awful movies ever

    by troutpencil

    As cornily Hollywood and stupid as Hong Kong cinema gets, one of the godawful movies that most fans agree To took for money so he could make his actually good movies. Fulltime Killer is the epitome of spikyhaired pop stars/teenagers killing cops with ballet movies in slow motion.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 01, 2007 8:29:05 PM CDT

    That's it???

    by maui

    Only 6 replies for this phenomenal event? I used to attend this every year in Vancouver (when I lived up in Canada) - it's brilliant. Looks like a great selection - if you get a chance view some films at the Imax at Canada Place.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 01, 2007 10:56:29 PM CDT

    Fulltime Killer is a comedy.

    by harry weinstein

    It's based on an Edmond Pang Ho-Chung novel, and bears his finely honed sense of the absurd, further explored in his self-directed films. It shares a POINT BREAK fetish and a general love of action movies with HOT FUZZ and should be taken about as seriously. To's EXILED is out now, go see it if you like movies by, for, and about real men, the sort of movie you watch while sipping from a polished flask of mid-grade bourbon; it's the sort of thing Steve McQueen and Lee Marvin would have starred in a remake of back in the day. It's the shit if you got a pair.

    Reply to Talkback

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