R E V I E W

Midnight Fly

Universe | 2001 | 111 minutes
Directed by Jacob Cheung

With Anita Mui, Junna Risa, Shaun Tam, Simon Yam

B A C K G R O U N D
director, in cinemas, recent and related films

Jacob Cheung Chi-Leung's directorial career stretches back to 1988's Beyond the Eunuch. He's made both comedies (Always on My Mind) and dramas (The Kid). He also co-directed Never Say Goodbye (blasted by both Paul Fonoroff and Paul Fox; reviews can be found in the Hong Kong Movie Database) earlier in the year 2001.

The film opened in Hong Kong cinemas in July 2001.

M O V I E

plot
Two tourists, Michele (from Hong Kong) and Miki (from Japan), become friends while touring France, and then make a fateful decision to visit Morocco. While there, secrets are revealed and events transpire that make them wish they'd never left home.

performances
Both Anita Mui (as Michele) and Junna Risa (as Miki) deliver performances that are no less powerful because they portray, basically, the same character at different stages of life. Simon Yam provides good support as Michele's husband.

production
How to reconcile infuriating plot twists and naked emotional manipulation with incredibly haunting imagery and devastating performances?

Midnight Fly is not the work of a b-movie hack going for the jugular with cheap thrills in mind. Director Jacob Cheung (Always on My Mind, Intimates) displays a masterful touch with the pacing of the film — you suspect he's setting you up for a sucker punch (he is), but you don't know when it's coming, and when it does, it doesn't quite match your expectations.

I've resisted writing this review for more than a week, because even as I watched it I was disdainful about some of the methods the filmmakers employed in order to evoke certain responses from the viewer. I shook my head in disbelief several times, and nearly flung the DVD across the room when it was over.

The cumulative power of Midnight Fly will depend on your state of mind, your expectations, and your life experience (OK, that's true for most movies) but it's extremely absorbing to watch, and after a certain point you simply can't turn away — similar to how time seems to slow down during an automobile accident, as your mind tries to prepare your body to accept the fact that ... this is going to hurt.

rating
Category IIB for some harrowing and violent scenes.

D V D

look
The letterboxed (approximately 1.85:1) presentation looks excellent. The colors are saturated, black levels are deep, and skin tones look natural. The source print is pristine.

sound
The DD 5.1 "Cantonese" track sounded excellent. Much of the dialogue is spoken is English, as well as bits in Arabic, French, and Japanese. The sound field was expansive and immersive, with the surrounds constantly engaged and pleasant LFE effects. Also included is a DD 5.1 Mandarin version.

subtitles
The white removable English subtitles are a bit of a disappointment. The translation is not that good, and subtitles remain on for the extensive English dialogue - which doesn't always match the subtitles. Distracting, to say the least. Also included are simplified and traditional Chinese subtitles.

features
Eight chapters can be selected from a video-capture menu. "Stars' Files" (biography and film listing) are provided for Anita Mui and Simon Yam. Two different theatrical trailers for the film are included. "More Attractions" features trailers for Fighting for Love and Heroes in Love.

R E C O M M E N D A T I O N
buy, rent, or pass?

Rent. Extraordinarily frustrating yet compelling.

(Reviewed 12/18/01)

THIS DVD IS AVAILABLE AT HKFLIX.COM