Beast
Cops is one of the first Hong Kong movies I fell in love with, not to mention
one of the most intense and unforgettable experiences I’ve ever had the
pleasure of. That seems like a long time ago now. Since then Lam has struggled
to reach the dizzy heights of cinematic excess he enjoyed in ’98 with Anthony
Wong in the drivers seat.
To be fair, he did direct The Twins in the stupendously fluffy Twins Effect (we all have our weaknesses).
So it gives me great pleasure to announce Dante Lam’s return to hard-hitting
crime procedural drama, a highly effective thriller from 2008 with enough spit
and polish to keep the most passionate of film fans happy.
Nicholas Tse stars as Sergeant Tong, an officer who inadvertently kills the
eldest daughter of public prosecutor Ann Gao (Jingchu Zhang) after an
electrifying car chase. Eventually the wanted criminal in question, Cheung, is
brought to justice and Ann makes it her sole purpose to convict him.
Things
take a drastic turn when Cheung hires a professional killer called Hung to
kidnap Ann’s youngest daughter with the intension of returning her when the
prosecutor drops all charges against him. Tong has been watching from the
sidelines and Ann is forced – albeit reluctantly – to put her trust in the man
who’s all ready killed one of her children.
The opening car chase is a real doozy, superbly directed and without a doubt
the greatest side-on collision of 2008. There’s also a chance that this event
has repercussions later on, but I didn’t tell you that. Beast Stalker –
arriving a decade after Beast Cops – is a return to familiar territory for Lam
after a string of lukewarm, underwhelming movies. None of the action that
follows lives up to the intensity of the opening chase sequence but that’s not
really a criticism, the strong performances and expert direction ensure that
the ensuing chaos is both gritty and suspenseful.
You will
find plenty to enjoy in the cat and mouse finale that brings the film to its
exhilarating conclusion. As for the final twist, well, on reflection the
denouement seems a little too neat and precise, but I’m not about to criticise
a film for tying up its loose ends in such an orderly – not to mention
satisfactory – fashion.
Nicholas
Tse is his typically reliable self but it’s Nick Cheung who walks away with top
honours. For once the villain of the piece is portrayed in living colour; Dante
Lam paints Hung in splashes of humanity, which serve the viewer well. The rest
of the cast are solid too, with Jingchu Zhang proving particularly convincing
as a woman torn apart by the unfolding chaos. Her turn is both subtle and
affecting and a joy to experience from start to finish.
At times
it feels pedestrian and routine – Beast
Cops felt tighter on the whole – but there’s no disputing that Beast Stalker was a return to form
for a director who has since become one of the most reliable names in the
business. AW
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