Devil Face, Angel Heart
Reviewed by YTSL
Back in 1998, the photogenic duo of Daniel
Wu and Stephen Fung appeared together in fashion photographer turn film-maker
Yonfan’s visual treats filled “Bishonen...”. One year later, they
were a part of the cabal of “Young Turk” performers on view in Benny Chan’s
“Gen X Cops”. Three years on, these two young actors top the bill
-- along with Gigi Lai -- of this crime drama helmed by a director who
-- by way of some of his previous efforts being “Love to Kill” (a 1993
Category III effort that had Anthony Wong portraying the wife-abuser spouse
of Elizabeth Lee’s much put upon character) and “Lady Supercop” (a 1993
Carina Lau action vehicle that boasts a dental torture scene that puts
the one in “The Marathon Man” to shame) -- might be said to be as associated
with ugly imagery as Yonfan is with beautiful ones.
Considering that Billy Chung was the occupant
of the 2002 effort’s driver’s seat, it should not come as that much of
a surprise that DEVIL FACE, ANGEL HEART does possess its share of unattractive
aspects and moments. This includes a villainous character named Dragon
(portrayed by Patrick Keung) whose sadism manifests itself by way of his
liking to do such as subject the woman described as his “concubine” to
nightly bouts of -- heard but unseen by the movie’s viewers -- torturous
sex, and further lack of heart can be seen by his insensitively commanding
someone whose face he does not like to keep it turned away from him when
in his presence. Additionally, we have in this badly English subtitled
Wong Jing production a lead female character (a vulnerable looking, trouble
causing individual played by Gigi Lai) whose many questionable actions
cause her to be described by another female as “a goddam (sic.) freaky
bitch” plus prompt the suggestion that “Wendy is the creepiest creature
on earth”.
Alternatively, Daniel Wu does not portray a disfigured
character for all -- or even most -- of DEVIL FACE, ANGEL HEART like one
might have expected in view of the nature of the advance publicity that
this offering had received. Instead, the professional killer(s) he
plays goes, over the course of the film, from having the kind of visage
that’s capable of giving people nightmares to the more familiar, handsome
one of a man whose cinematic popularity seems to be derived as much more
from his willingness to take off his shirt -- and allow one of his “points”
to be sucked for what seemed like eternity on screen (in this at times
seemingly lovingly filmed work by an actress named Joey Wong but is NOT
the one of “A Chinese Ghost Story” fame) -- as through whatever amount
of dramatic ability that I reckon that he does also possess.
Early on in DEVIL FACE, ANGEL HEART, Daniel Wu’s
character’s name is given as (Ah) Long and it also is revealed that he
and his elder brother ((Ah) Kwan, who is essayed by Lam Suet), are in the
hazardous employ of a gangster boss known as Dragon. As Dragon’s
moll, Wendy, discloses to Long, he and the one member of his family who
did not abandon him are the latest of a long line of hit-men who Dragon
has had on theoretically lucrative short term contracts. After the
abused woman and the “devil faced” -- but supposedly also “angel hearted”
-- assassin seemed to have won each other’s trust as well as sympathy,
she reveals to him that Dragon -- and his chief assistant, Jimmy (who is
played by Conroy Chan) -- appear to have successfully seen to it that all
of his hired hands never survive the mandated three months in his employ
that would allow them to claim their rewards plus walk away from it all,
and also that she would love to see Dragon get his just plus fatal desserts,
Long decides to solve their problems by ridding the world of his nasty
boss.
An opportunity for him to do so arises when the
men go -- albeit minus Wendy -- on a “business” trip to Taiwan. As
it turns out though, their Taiwanese sojourn turns out to be opportunity
filled for more than one individual. And when the (gun) smoke finally
clears (from locations as disparate as a crowded hostess club and a quiet
pier), more than one person has been betrayed and is dead. Among
the casualties of this carnage appeared to be the often hooded or cloaked
individual named Long. In any case, after DEVIL FACE, ANGEL HEART
fast forwards to one year after the taking place of these violent events
(whose action director seemed to have gone to town with his use of squibs
galore!), the character essayed by Daniel Wu is newly seen to radiate sex
appeal as well as be good looking plus gets identified as a fellow in the
employ of Dragon’s successors named Michael rather than Long.
So...does Daniel Wu play two different and unrelated
individuals in this not always 100% logical -- plus consequently pretty
far fetched in places -- mood piece? Perhaps it might be best for
me to leave it to the reader to guess and/or find out by way of their going
and watching DEVIL FACE, ANGEL HEART. At the same time, I think it
fair to reveal that, despite his having received prominent billing in the
credits of this production that’s not without certain stylish flourishes,
Stephen Fung does not have half as prominent a part to play in the film
as the actor whose hair was shorter than his in “Bishonen...” but now is
threatening to approach the length of Ekin Cheng’s. Similarly, Sam
Lee (who portrays Stephen Fung’s character’s plainclothes policeman partner),
Kelly Lin (whose role is that of the sympathetic cop’s loving girlfriend)
and the under-rated as well as -utilized David Lee (as yet another sadistic
hoodlum, this one with the moniker of Bull) don’t look to have spent more
than two days (or nights) working on this movie, and consequently can be
considered largely blameless for it being as disappointingly mediocre as
it is.
My rating for the film: 5.5.