Vancouver International Film Festival 2008

Hong Kong

Sparrow

Review by Desirée Leal

The write up in the VIFF program guide certainly made this film sound appetizing, but nothing could have prepared me for the fun I had watching Johnnie To's Sparrow. A reference to a nickname for pickpockets, the title is also apt because of the film's swift and graceful narrative flow. The seamless blending of cinematic styles is the best I've ever seen. The gangster genre, the romantic comedy, the action adventure and even the French New Wave are all present in this amazingly poetic visual piece.

The carefree lives of four brothers who make their living as a gang of pickpockets in the streets of Hong Kong are suddenly disrupted when they meet a young woman -- a caged bird, who, through her beauty and seductive powers, manipulates them into helping her escape her "arrangement" with a wealthy older "businessman". The pace is fast (with a lot of running in high heels!), but not the least bit confusing or chaotic - mostly due to some artful editing, great music and action that is more choreographed than blocked. The dialogue is witty and Simon Yam's delivery is smooth as silk with all the charm of Cary Grant, all the sass of George Clooney, and all the comedic timing of Peter Sellers.

Playful and witty, Sparrow also has some wonderfully unexpected, tender moments that are not only a treat to watch, but also show depth in characters that might otherwise be written off as simple devices against which the two main characters play. Sparrow is a great piece of cinema as well as a giddy and exhilarating ride. Wheeee!

Sparrow
Johnnie To | Hong Kong | 2008 | 87min

Hong Kong

High Noon

Review by Chris Walts

High Noon is 24-year-old director Heiward Mak’s debut feature, and judging from how expertly it was made, Hong Kong has a brilliant new talent to look forward to. High Noon is the coming of age story of seven high school boys trying to make the most of their fleeting moments of freedom before the shattering force of the rest of their lives takes hold. The story revolves around a transfer student, played by Lam Yiu-sing, who is quickly befriended by the other six boys, falling right into their nonchalant study habits and love for mischief and horsing around. The story quickly turns dark however as Mak explores the pitfalls of today's technology-heavy viral social media culture. A sex video shot with one of the boys' phone is accidentally sent out to everyone in his phonebook.

Masterfully shot, Mak knows exactly when to shift from surreal back to reality. She also gets great performances from the entire cast particularly her lead Lam Yiu-sing. One of the strongest features of High Noon is its current and poignant feel. Mak doesn’t shy away from dealing with abusive parents, teenagers sleeping around, drugs, suicide, and gang violence. As a frequent film watcher I was sick to death of the high school coming of age story, but Mak successfully breathes a full breath of fresh air into an overall stagnant genre.

High Noon
Heiward Mak | Hong Kong | 2008 | 106min