9413
Reviewed by YTSL
In recent years, more than one actor (and actress)
-- in Hong Kong as well as Hollywood (E.g., Vincent Wan with “The Warning
Time”, Crystal Kwok with “The Mistress”, Eric Kot with “First Love:
The Litter on the Breeze”, Anthony Wong with “New Tenant” and “Top Banana
Club”, and Nicholas Tse and Stephen Fung with one episode of “Heroes in
Love”) -- has tried his (or her) hands at directing movies. In 1998,
Francis Ng made his directorial debut at the helm of an artsy crime drama
that apparently only had a HK$3 million (i.e., approximately US$400,000)
budget and two week shooting schedule. That this Category III rated
-- for its steamy love as well as head-banging action scenes? -- work looks
as polished as it does doubtlessly owes as much to the help that the film’s
star as well as director managed to get from some others of the production’s
very able cast and crew members.
One of these would be 9413’s executive producer
as well as ace cinematographer (Herman Yau also happens to be a director
in his own right -- with such as “From the Queen to the Chief Executive”,
many of the “Troublesome Night” efforts, “The Untold Story” and “Taxi
Hunter” among his credits). Another would be its scriptwriter cum
associate producer, Sandy Shaw (whose other scriptwriting efforts include
“The Heroic Trio”, “Executioners” and “My Father is a Hero”). The
contributions of co-stars Christine Ng (who -- presumably more than incidentally
-- has appeared in eight different films with Francis Ng), Amanda Lee (who
has worked with the respected character actor on five movies, and had a
particularly memorable role as his beloved in “Full Alert”) and Fredric
Mao (who took the part of the significant other of this offering’s main
man one year earlier in “A Queer Story”) probably ought not be underestimated
as well.
At the very least, Francis Ng’s familiarity with
9143’s two lead actresses seems to have ensured that there was quite a
bit of sizzle in the love scenes that he and they appeared (even when not
a single sex act involving any (two) of them seemed to have got successfully
completed!). More re those sections of this often unhurried feeling
-- an aspect of it that is in keeping with a sympathetic character’s cautionary
injunction that “If we hurry up, we never see things clearly” -- production:
On one hand, it can come across as self-indulgent of the director to have
scenes in this film which allowed him to kiss and fondle two attractive
-- albeit in different ways -- women. On the other, I reckon that
it (also) takes some guts for an individual to give himself as unflattering
and demanding -- even if substantial plus richly complex -- a role as that
which Mr. Ng landed for himself in this production.
To put it somewhat mildly: Francis Ng’s
Smash-Head is a rather anti-heroic as well as unorthodox character.
A policeman who accidentally killed a female hostage, has had to do some
of his superior’s dirty work (in return for the corrupt cop -- Fredric
Mao’s Officer Kar -- covering up that serious mistake he made), is an open
smoker of pot plus is not above imbibing illegal pleasure-inducing substances
and engaging in other exhibitionistic displays (including an exuberant
public strip tease), he also happens to be a rabid environmentalist (who
will abruptly halt a love-making act upon finding that his woman -- Amanda
Lee’s Mandy -- is wearing environmentally-unfriendly plastic slippers as
well as absolutely hates the sight of polyfoam floating in Hong Kong harbour’s
polluted waters!).
Smash-Head’s attitude to life starts to change
-- or at least, he works to change it -- however when he -- whose real
name is Ko Chin Man -- makes the acquaintance of a personable as well as
generally calm and assured hypno-therapist (Dr. Carmen Leung -- who is
engagingly portrayed by Christine Ng -- is a real contrast with the hot-blooded
Mandy as well as the film’s hot-headed protagonist). Still, what
really causes him to re-evaluate and seek to terminate such as his tainted
association with Officer Kar is his finding physical proof -- in the form
of his murdered ex-partner’s pistol (one which is recognizable by way of
its having the numbers 9143 etched on it) -- having been in the hands of
the rogue cop. Unfortunately for Smash-Head, Officer Kar is not willing
to let the wanna-be reformed character easily dissolve their relationship,
and therefore sets about trying to retain his underling’s loyalty by putting
those who Smash-Head has more valued ties with in major danger...
With a plot structure that is not exactly all
that conventional for what is ostensibly primarily a crime drama, 9143
will not be everyone’s cup of bubbling hot -- yet also strangely soothing
and consequently actually enjoyable -- tea. Those who are avowed
fans of melodic Cantopop may also be somewhat put off by this interesting
movie’s soundtrack: Which does include a sweet rendition of “I Got
the Feeling” by singer-songwriter Kenny Bee but is dominated by what Stefan
Hammond has described as “edgy industrial synth music mixe(d) with (construction
site) piledrivers” (in “Hollywood East”, 2000:63). In large part
because I appreciate its creative originality -- and also the fine acting
performances from the work’s four principal actors and actresses -- though,
I found myself warming up to this effort as surely as the emotionally-troubled
Smash-Head took a liking to the ministering angel that was Christine Ng’s
Carmen.
My rating for this film: 7.5
DVD Information:
Distributed by WideSight
Like most transfers from WideSight the picture
is soft and at times murky.
Letterboxed
Cantonese and Mandarin language tracks.
6 Chapters
The subtitles are burnt on Chinese and English.
There are no extras.