A World Without Thieves
Reviewed by Lee Alon
Few can foretell what wonders lie in cinema.
First, martial arts antics meet footie shenanigans just in time for World
Cup 2002, and now, courtesy of large capital investments and over-zealous
production assistants, wuxia comes together with the absconding realm of
wily pickpockets, perhaps to coincide with Beijing's 2008 Olympics; so
blissfully, oblivious tourists beware. At any rate, A World without Thieves
enjoys a continuing barrage of compliments and hyperboles from various
industry sources; especially those in the mainland who stand to gain something
from its success. Does it warrant so much affection? In one fell swoop:
no. Likely its main draw, and instigator of praise, must be the quite staggeringly
polished look bestowed on each and every scene. Computer enhanced to the
Nth degree, Thieves tries to do an extensive Hero cum Shaolin Soccer mind-job
on audiences, resulting in much the same bombastic listlessness so afflicting
the former, while devoid of the instant humorous charm boosting the latter's
appeal.
With Thieves we also come across a hodge-podge
of emotional takes, shifting quite awkwardly from heartfelt drama to philosophical
humor and vice versa to frankly disastrous consequences. Many films are
able to manage a seamless segue between these elements, but Thieves fails
due to being too eager and irritatingly self-absorbed. When will these
producers learn that making movies and becoming Miss Universe use entirely
different sets of values and mores? All the faux-poetic fight scenes and
semi-clever dialogue can't possibly salvage a film accursed by pretentiousness
and mundane storytelling.
Going forward, Thieves' assumes two ultra-adept
(yet somehow magically benign) criminals on their way cross-country in
an extorted BMW. Mind you, not even a new one you'd normally bother risking
your neck for, but still, a Beemer. The guy, Wang Bo (Andy Lau), relishes
every minute, enjoying the outlaw life to the hilt. However, his female
accomplice Wang Li (Rene Liu, recently spotted in “20-30-40”), having experienced
some of the more profound slights of hand life can deal begins searching
for reasons to go legit. As they traverse a conspicuously edited and filtered-to-please
version of mainland China's landscape, our couple find themselves at odds
over how to proceed.
Several clashes later, they arrive at an unnamed
temple, where Wang Li prays for atonement while Wang Bo helps himself to
the congregation's personal belongings. This scene first introduces the
movie's martial arts-augmented pickpocketing routines, as we watch Wang
Bo pull off all manner of swift moves and maneuvers in slow-mo, making
him appear like the Crouching Tiger of petty criminals. Sadly, what could
have been left alone to savvy minimalism becomes mistaken for a selling
point, eventually encumbering Thieves with discordant excess baggage. More
of these scenes follow later, but come with similarly annoying sentiments
in tow.
After ditching their wheels, the two board a train
bound for Beijing (we presume), on which they become close with Wang Li's
newfound countryside friend, Xiao Gen (Wang Baoqiang). This young villager,
heading to his ancestral Hebei hometown with 60K Yuan in cash as dowery,
symbolizes the epitome of sweet innocence, contributing little to the proceedings
save for highlighting our heroes' born-again kindness. He mostly either
goes around making naïve remarks on how there's no malice in people,
hence A World without Thieves, or falls indolently asleep.
When Wang Li and Wang Bo realize that a group
of rival master thieves shares the train ride with them, they slowly get
around to protecting Xiao Gen and his lifelong savings. Under the aegis
of Uncle Li (Ge You, who we recall fondly from the excellent Cala, My Dog),
the scheming posse aim to purloin Xiao Gen's cash not just for money's
sake, but more to show their superiority over the two kleptomaniac love
birds. Thus, a power struggle ensues, one told mostly through would-be
insightful dialogue and the aforementioned misshapen action sequences.
Unfortunately, the usually respectable Ge You doesn't click this time round,
and his sidekicks actually detract from the movie's potential by being
downright unconvincing, particularly Li Bingbing (who plays a character
called Leaf). Sorry if this sounds crass, but ladies who are cast as hotties
but aren't, seldom carry over well on the big screen.
Despite Rene Liu's intelligently attractive countenance
and Andy's usual top-notch professionalism, Thieves falls short. Its somewhat
tragic resolution only manages to move viewers in that they at long last
can get up and go look for something better to watch. Likewise, the few
plot twists en route really don’t gather much momentum, with a red herring
here and there sorely missed by all discerning pundits. Plus, as an aside
from someone who's ridden a few of the mainland's railways, the movie's
portrayal of Uncle Li's outrageously lavish quarters just seems too goofy
to be real, as does the lounge party in the dining car. On-train debutante
balls? What's next, ladies night for mid-week ticket buyers?
With any trace of true ambition or quality stolen,
A World without Thieves comes along late in the 2004 fray as one of the
year's most disappointing releases.
Rating: 4/10
Directed by Feng Xiaogang
Starring Andy Lau, Rene Liu, Ge You, Wang
Baoqiang, Li Bingbing
2004, Putonghua, 120 minutes
Contact Lee Alon here