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Pretty Good

A Masterpiece!

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

"The Mission" is a slickly made and always watchable Triad movie. It is funny in parts and even manages a couple of tense shoot-out scenes. Fans of John Woo or heroic bloodshed might be disappointed however - this isn't the balletic, guns blazing action scenes fans of HK crime cinema might expect. These scenes are nowhere near as athletic. Dare I say they are more "realistic"? Gentlemanly Triad boss Lung has an attempt made on his life that he barely survives. He hires five guys to look after him and find the killer. Among these is legendary HK actor Anthony Wong whose unusual and fearsome appearance changes the feeling of every scene he's in. Unfortunately none of the other four make much of an impression on their own.For most of the film's length, I was aware that I wasn't entirely following the plot, but that wasn't hindering my enjoyment any. I mean, how many of these movies have a plot you can fully understand? I had to subtract a point at the end, however. The final act is played like it should have more impact than it does, perhaps because we are expected to understand something we missed. Or not? Who can say?

I've seen a couple of To films before this one so I kind of knew what I was getting into. This may be a HK action film but it's nothing like the more loud and workmanlike fare that has come from there in the past 15 years.Five men are called to protect a Triad boss who is repeatedly attacked by gunmen. The plotting is as simple as that. What matters here, as in any other To film I've seen, is the style and the contemplative pacing. Sure there are shootouts galore to quench the thirst for lead of the action fanatics but they're not all out bloodbaths or elaborate stuntwork. They're carefully choreographed and subtle in execution. The pacing might appear slow to people used to the spastic editing of Hollywood action fare like Bourne Ultimatum but therein lies the power of The Mission. You get to spend time with the characters, observe the camaraderie that develops between them, share the mundane parts of their job - it's not all glamour and glitz in the work of the bodyguard. In that aspect, I believe Johnnie To to be equal parts Howard Hawks circa Rio Bravo and Jean-Pierre Melville, albeit with a slick layer of HK style on top; nice suits, fancy cars, cool glasses et al.The cast deserves a mention though. Anthony Wong, Francis Ng, Rony Leung, Simon Yam, they're all great in their respective roles, understating things enough to fit with the contemplative pace of the movie. The score deserves one as well; it's cheese-tastic in all its casiotone synth glory. I laughed the first couple of times the music cue played but then warmed up to it until I realized it's an integral part of The Mission's peculiar charm. If anything it lends character.All in all this is a subtle action film, but thoroughly enjoyable. For a much superior execution of the same idea check out Johnny To's Exiled from 2006.

Having sworn to never watch Hong Kong films, save those by Wong Kar Wei, the only reason I saw this film was the good reviews it received from the Hong Kong Film Critic Society. And I must admit it was a most pleasant surprise.The film is a slick and well packaged story of five strangers in gangland coming together to get a job done, namely that of keeping a triad boss alive. The characters, while still stereotyped to a certain extent, are not the usually uncontrolled triad powermongers that are often portrayed in other less palatable fare. These people are professionals, and they knew how to get a job done. Faced with a sniper, none of them panic, and each of them know exactly what to do. The scene in the mall was tightly controlled and well orchestrated, with minimal movement and gun fire adding more to the tension then any hail of bullets can.The direction of Johnnie To evokes images of films by John Woo, whose scenes of gun fights have always, in my opinion, verged on poetry in motion. To's characters are restrained, while the same degree of subtlety is employed with the plot. The audience, in my opinion an often mindless group who are unwilling to think and must be spoon fed every little detail, are left to find meanings and hints in little gestures.The film also reminds me of Things To Do In Dallas, When You Are Dead. Five strangers, called together to serve a mob boss who is past his prime. And again, there is conflict among members of this special 'team'.In the end, aside from a less than believable plot line, The Mission scores high on its entertainment value, both in its visual style and delivery.

Shot lovingly at a measured pace, the Mission is one of the best films I've seen all year.The cinematography is simply incredible. Combined with a strong score and excellent sound, it sets the tone and pace of the film. Rather than rushing the gun battles and creating the furious duels of John Woo films, the Mission takes a slow measured approach. The bodyguards cover one another and move in harmony, taking up advantageous positions from which to strike. They do this slowly and methodically, but with an air of cinematic perfection to their languid movements. When they fire their guns, the weapons thunder and bullets either ricochet off or shatter their targets. No stock sound effects here - this is as good as Heat or Saving Private Ryan in the intensity and quality of its weapons fire.The acting is first rate with much of the communication left unspoken. These men don't need to ramble on to one another, a few sentences or a simple gesture convey all the information that is required. All five of the bodyguards turn in first rate performances that leave you with a real sense of both who these men are and what they are all about.The theme here is loyalty - and while it might be a simple one, this is one of its finest presentations. Definitely worthy of one's time.