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R E V I E W
Clueless
Wide Sight / 2001 / 88 minutes
Directed by Ally Wong Ka-Fai
Written by Sam WongWith Hacken Lee, Siu Suet, Elvis Tsui, Ben Ng, Helena Law Lam, Hui Siu-Hung
B A C K G R O U N D : director, in cinemas, recent and related films
Ally Wong Ka-Fai has worked extensively as a cinematographer since 1989 (Pink Bomb, Legend of the Wolf, Ballistic Kiss), but has also directed five previous films (Take Five, Wipe Out, Fourteen Days Before Suicide, To Where He Belongs, When a Man Loves a Woman). This is the first script credit for Sam Wong, who also produced To Where He Belongs.
It's not clear whether the film played in Hong Kong cinemas or went straight to video. The DVD was released in April 2001.
M O V I E : plot, performances, production, rating
Plot: In two separate but related episodes, Senior Inspector Tang Yat-see of the Hong Kong Police and his partner Kim try to deal with baffling crimes but end up "clueless." Clueless, that is, until Yat-see's girlfriend Helen introduces the idea that legends and supernatural forces may be involved. The cleaning lady at the police station, known only as Blind Woman, provides solid clues for Yat-see.
Performances: Hacken Lee provides a solid lead performance as Tang Yat-see. He and Siu Suet as his girlfriend Helen have a relaxed and sometimes playful chemistry that adds to the modest charms of the film. Elvis Tsui Kam-Kong is agreeably sharp as Kim; Ben Ng Ngai Cheung is suitably wacko as the the rape suspect Chan Wing-Keung in the first episode; and the veteran actress Helena Law Lan adds a bit of welcome gravity as Blind Woman. One of my favorite supporting actors, Hui Siu-Hung (Expect the Unexpected, Victim, Needing You, Help!!!), plays Officer Wong.
Production: Dividing the film into two episodes is a bit awkward. On the one hand, the plots are not extended unnecessarily and everything is tied up neatly. On the other hand, just when the characters become engaging in the firt story, it's time for the mechanics of the second story to begin spinning. The direction by Ally Wong Ka-Fai is straightforward; the script by Sam Wong holds a couple of cleverly set-up minor surprises. Chan Yiu Ming's cinematography uses blue filters in nearly every scene; it seems to me that the use of blue as a predominant color should mean something integral to the plot or characters, yet here it seems to have been employed merely as a stylistic device. The musical score by Carlton Chiu is quite good, mixing a wide variety of styles in an effective manner.
Rating: Category IIB. Two brutal, semi-explicit rape scenes and one attempted rape; brief partial nudity.
D V D : look, sound, subtitles, features
Look: The letterboxed (approximately 1.66:1) presentation is good. Colors are tinged in blue throughout, making flesh tones appear a bit ghastly, which fits the subject matter.
Sound: The DD 5.1 Cantonese audio track is quite good; sparing use of the surround channels adds to the occasionally creepy atmosphere. Also available is a DD 5.1 Mandarin dub.
Subtitles: The white non-removable (burned in) Chinese and English subtitles are lost several times in white backgrounds. The English translation is often phrased awkwardly, but the meaning is not too difficult to grasp.
Features: Six chapters can be selected from a video capture menu. "Introduction" presumably contains a synopsis of the film; it is only provided in Chinese. "Dialogue" has the options for Cantonese or Mandarin audio.
R E C O M M E N D A T I O N : buy, rent, or pass?
Rent. Low priority. Not entirely without merit; as an alternative to watching re-runs of an American television series such as "The X-Files," it stands up well.
(Reviewed 8/21/01)
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