Drug War (2012) |
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Director: | Johnnie To |
Writers: | Wai Ka-Fai, Yau Nai-hoi. Ryker Chan, and Yu Xi |
Starring: | Louis Koo, Sun Honglei, Huang Yi, and Wallace Chung |
The Review |
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In a Michael Mann-esque turn for the director, Drug War is a mix of style, darkness, and unwavering attention to detail within its brutality. Evoking the same procedural feel that some of Michael Mann’s (Heat, The Insider) work has, Johnnie To makes the wild behavior on display within this movie seem like another simple day at the office. While To’s previous crime films have all had an air of artistry to them, it has been rare that the filmmaker would delve this heavy into the criminal element and showcase material that is this unflattering. The criminals on display in Drug War are, for the most part, not very smooth. They are not the creative and charismatic souls found in The Mission or Election. In fact, the character of Timmy is an outright coward. These men are quick to violence and they are willing to do anything that it takes to save their own necks. Toning down the innate likability of his criminal characters, Johnnie To may have been giving in to the censors, but it does create a very different feel for this movie. Something that is unlike any of his other work, but intriguing for entirely different reasons.




The Conclusion |
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