8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
JOHNNIE TO's latest is "Maddeningly" Entertaining and Off-Beat!, February 19, 2008
This review is from: Mad Detective (DVD)
MAD DETECTIVE is from Johnnie To's production outfit; Milky Way Image, the production company responsible for such acclaimed Hong Kong hits such as "Exiled". Milky Way has given new life to Hong Kong Cinema and perhaps maintaining the country's image as a reputable leader in the crime genre. This latest offering from the creative team of Johnnie To and Wai Ka-Fai still has the usual coolness, it mixes crime thrills and detective work, familiar motifs and themes, but somehow it feels more cryptic and enigmatic than the usual. The film definitely feels a lot more like a psychological detective thriller than anything else.
Synopsis partially derived from the Mei-Ah dvd back cover:
A missing police pistol is connected to a series of recent heists and murders. Its owner Wong (Lee Kwok Lun) vanished after pursuing suspects in the bushes. His partner Chi-Wai (Lam Ka Tung) miraculously returned unscathed.
Inspector HO (Andy On) the officer in charge, seeks assistance from his former mentor; Bun (Lau Ching Wan), who had once been recognized as a gifted criminal profiler until he became judged insane some years ago. He has the uncanny ability to see into a person's inner personality, where the subconscious desires and emotions are laid bare. After the first contact with Chi-Wai, Bun concludes that Chi-Wai is the murderer. What began as a quest for answers has now taken a schizophrenic turn where truth and lies, reality and delusions intertwine....
If you saw the film "Running on Karma", you have a good idea on how this exercise in Buddhist indulgence plays out. The film takes the very cryptic and odd premise of "seeing a person's inner personality" to a very creative style. The film's premise is very ambitious and effective. An eccentric detective, who can see the emotions and inner desires of a person; to his associates, Bun appears quite insane. Bun uses this uncanny ability to explore complex emotions in solving a crime. True, "Mad Detective" is about cops and the investigation of crimes, but the complexity of its plot is just who these people are and what they are about to do. It was very different and creative the way the director expressed the inner personalities within one person. Viewers have to pay special attention to its proceedings as the camera's perspective shifts from time to time, a person will "morph" into someone else as a representation of that character's hidden personality. This style will have to be embraced by the audience, as the very unusual visual manipulation may sometimes show 7 people walking along the sidewalk in place of one person, 7 folks crammed in one compact car instead of one, a woman standing to urinate, etc. The switching characters and perspectives will encourage the viewer to stay sharp, it made me think and analyze the sequences. Truth be told, the film made me work, and while I was definitely drawn to the film, some viewers may become a bit alienated and confused.
Thankfully, award-winning actor Lau Ching Wan plays the lead. No one can play a weird eccentric with dynamic charisma better than Lau. His weathered and exhausted appearance, very manic and strange behavior adds a lot of depth to his character; Bun. Lam Suet and Eddie Cheung makes appearances as Chi-Wai's different personalities, Kelly Lin plays Bun's wife. "Mad Detective" is so full of compelling and multi-dimensional characters, that at times, I felt a bit of character overload. These characters aren't very different from everyday folks, with inner voices nudging the person to either do right or wrong; with unexpected consequences that may also be damning and dangerous to others.
"Mad Detective" may be a bit different from the other films I'm used to by Johnnie To but one thing that still held his signature is its great storytelling. As usual, there is somewhat of a "shock ending" that is bereft in ultimate irony. The film can definitely form a connection with its viewers, its real-world and real-life execution is likely to strike a chord to many. The ending may cause some people to scratch their heads, but if you've been paying attention during its entirety, it does make perfect sense. The twist and turns may prove a bit maddening but pseudo-intellectuals will no doubt have a field day trying to interpret its meaning.
Johnnie To's "Mad Detective" will no doubt become a favorite among his fans, who are used to the deadpan humor, crazy irony, plot arches, and a bit of misogyny. The film is definitely to a selected, intended audience as it may prove a tougher sell to people who like to be spoon-fed the details and uninitiated to this style. Still, the content and its meaning did prove very intoxicating and compelling to me. I may not be able to fully explain why I enjoyed this film and some details may seem a bit confusing, but my inner personality (who is The Mighty Thor LOL) who is flailing his arms says I like this film a lot!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! [4 Stars]
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wholly Original, Wickedly Smart, and Very Entertaining take on the murder/mystery/cop-drama genre. . ., August 14, 2008
This review is from: Mad Detective (DVD)
This movie is brilliant, possibly even genius. Let's just get that out of the way. I've seen many people refer to it as a Johnnie To film, which is only half-right. Here, the great To re-teams with his 'Running on Karma' co-director Wai Ka Fai. It also pairs To up with legendary actor Lau Ching Wa (who, personally, I loved in Black Mask). With a team like this there are some big expectations-and they more than deliver.
Without saying too much, let's just say that Lau (playing Det. Bun) is a 'Mad Detective' who has an uncanny ability to read people and deduce crimes (think Sherlock Holmes meets Rainman). He's been called back by the police to help solve the case of a missing police detective. While the concept behind the character is fairly unique, it's been done before in different ways-but rarely as good as this.
What makes this film great is that it starts where most other films end. It gives you the big Shyamalan twist up front and then spends the next hour and a half trying to figure out what to do with it. This movie may set a new bar for richness of character.
Bun and the relationship he has with his wife provides some genuinely heart-wrenching moments. Lau really gets inside the character and you feel it, from beginning to end, emotional/psychological roller coaster and all. But we'd expect nothing less of To and Fai; they usually tend to populate their world with rich characters. Every actor turns in a stellar performance. Plus, we're treated to appearances by a fair number of To and Fai regulars.
'Mad Detective' really is a fresh take on the Crime/Murder/Mystery genre. But while fresh is good, it's not everything. This film succeeds in being smart and entertaining at the same time. Seeing such a great concept put together by such a talented team on both sides of the camera is a gift. Repeat viewings will reveal more and more subtle and intricate layers to an already brilliant film. There's really not much more to say, just watch it, already!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Crazy For This Import That Explores The Fine Line Between Genius And Insanity, October 25, 2010
This review is from: Mad Detective (DVD)
I had minimal expectations when sitting down to watch "Mad Detective," an intriguing film from Hong Kong by the esteemed Johnnie To (co-directed with Wai Ka Fai). If anything, it seemed likely that the film would be an insanely over-the-top crime melodrama--that's just the mental impression imposed by such a title. But what unraveled was a perplexing and thoroughly unique film. Having captured several screenplay awards in Asia, it's easy to see why the multi-layered narrative is such a critical draw. "Mad Detective" is intricately structured and elaborately staged in a visual style quite unlike other pictures I have seen. The titular "Mad" represents the primary character who has a tenuous relationship with reality--and seen through his eyes, the film is a compelling cerebral challenge.
"Mad Detective" introduces us to Inspector Bun (the stellar Lau Ching Wan) who has an almost supernatural ability to solve crimes. He can put himself into the mind of the culprits or into the circumstances of a crime through visions, dreams, and impressions. But his grasp of the here and now isn't always so strong as he is having interactions that no one else can detect. As the story fast forwards five years, the controversial Bun has been removed from the force but a young inspector who idolizes the madman genius asks for assistance in the case of a missing police officer. Jumping at the chance, Bun launches himself into the case with vigor and becomes a mentor for the younger man. But is Bun really a genius? As his actions become more erratic, his useful contributions start to become more and more suspect.
The mystery element to "Mad Detective," in truth, if fairly perfunctory. What makes the film so special is the way in which it invites us to view the world through Bun's eyes. Bun claims to see the personalities within any given individual, so at one point as he's trailing a suspect--the audience is actually following seven actors who represent those personalities. I'm not going to give much more away, other than to say that it is essential to pay close attention so you don't lose track of reality as well! There are numerous other terrific devices used to get into Bun's thoughts in a visual way. It's a finely tuned juggling act that "Mad Detective" works as well as it does. A fantastic lead performance and genuine chemistry between the two cops enhance the trickery and provide emotional context. "Mad Detective" is a truly unique Asian crime story--one that will linger long after the last frame. KGHarris, 10/10.
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