Conspiracy
Director: Sam Ho Shu-pui
Year: 2000
Rating: 5.0
Somebody in HK should
get a bonus for coming up with the cover for this film. Two slender naked
women – back to back – one holding a gun and the other a long blade – what
man could possibly resist! That one image drives a stake right into the heart
of the male psyche - sex, style and violence. The film needless to say doesn’t
even come within a flicker of living up to this image – very little style,
no nudity and only a modicum of violence. I am always in hope of discovering
another "Naked Killer", but this is most definitely not it.
It does of course have the snub nosed beauty of Sophie Ngan. Sophie has become
the queen of tease when it comes to film covers. The covers of Horoscope
II, Resort Massacre and this film all had hopes raised by the prospect of
something equally interesting within – all to be dashed upon the rocks of
a Category II rating! One would have to be a bit of an idiot to be fooled
three times of course. Oops. Sophie has the potential to be one of
the better evil beauties in HK film since Pauline Wong. Or as Mae West once
said “When I’m good I’m good, but when I’m bad I’m even better”. Sophie does
“bad” very well bringing a lovely and enticing sexy twist to her characters.
When she played a good girl in Resort Massacre, her performance lacked any
energy – but here she is back on her game. An intense stare and a wicked
smile are enough to create a freeze frame cinematic moment.
There is regrettably not enough Sophie in
this film. Instead the main focus is on Bessie Chan who gets caught up in
the middle of some mysterious events. She goes to pick up her husband, Michael
Tse, at the airport after he returns from a trip to Thailand. A trip to Thailand
always signifies trouble in a HK film and there is plenty of that ahead for
this couple. As she spots him at the airport, she sees Sophie come over to
him, whisper seductively in his ear and drop some keys into his pocket. Not
good signs.
Michael Tse – in a bit of a bug eyed performance – seems to be under tremendous
stress and goes into momentary furies on occasion – but won’t tell Bessie
what the problem is. She begins suspecting he is having an affair and the
worry causes her to begin sleepwalking in the neighborhood. Apparently her
brother had the same problem - and it led to insanity and murder!
Co-incidentally (or not?) at the same time
there are some horrible murders occurring – and the police begin to suspect
that Bessie is doing it while sleepwalking. The fact that the murders took
place miles away and a car was stolen to help commit the murders doesn’t seem
to faze them! That would be a hell of a sleepwalking session. Sophie pops
in from time to time – smiles enigmatically – and moves on. As the conspiracy
begins to come out from the shadows though – Sophie takes on a bigger role.
Simon Lui has a small role as a corrupt politician.
Though there is a smidgen of an alluring mystery here, not a lot of it is
particularly engaging and Bessie’s performance is extremely whiny and annoying.
Still Sophie somehow manages to rise above this so-so mediocrity and make
her screen time memorable.