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Cast:
Richie
Ren
Kelly
Chen
Nick
Cheung
Hui
Shiu Hung
Cheung
Siu Fai
Lam
Suet
You
Yong
Simon
Yam (cameo)
Action:
Yuen
Bun
Producer:
Johnnie
To
Cao
Biao
Director:
Johnnie
To
Score:
 
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BREAKING
NEWS
AKA:
N/A
Year:
2004 Reviewer: Andrew
Saroch
2004
is proving to be another year where many fans of Hong Kong
cinema are hoping desperately that Johnnie To will resist the
lure of Hollywood. 2003 saw him direct an eclectic collection
of films from the sublime 'Turn
Left, Turn Right' to the challenging 'Running
On Karma' that cemented his reputation as one of Asia's
hottest film-making properties. To further this increasingly
widespread notion, 'Breaking News' was shown at the Cannes
Film Festival and proved to be financially successful in its
own market. Importantly though, 'Breaking News' is another
impressive attempt by Johnnie To to stretch the generic
conventions of the action genre and experiment with its
potential.
During
an investigation into a gang of Mainland robbers, detective
Cheung (Nick Cheung) and his associates are engaged in an
intense gun battle with their suspects. After the frenetic
action on the streets of Hong Kong, the robbers, lead by
enigmatic ringleader Yeung (Ren), flee into the crowds and
manage to find a densely populated apartment block to use as a
hideout. While this happens, the local media is busy reporting
the events with a decidedly anti-police stance that whips up
public feelings of antipathy towards the force. With such an
image crisis, the police call on determined officer Rebecca
Fong (Chen) to orchestrate an operation that will not only
catch the criminals, but will also serve as a clever piece of
public relations. When Cheung and his small team finally find
Yeung et al in the apartment building, a massive campaign is
launched to catch the villains and utilise the media to their
advantage. However, wiley Yeung decides to use the media for
his own propaganda and, when a pair of Mainland hitmen who are
also hiding in the building lend their support, the television
news circus gets underway.
At
this moment in time, Johnnie To can do little wrong. 'Breaking
News' continues his rich vein of form that has seen the
director impressing the critics while also satisfying the
commercial aspects of his employers. Few directors working
today have quite the same ability to integrate commercial and
artistic concerns; there are many film-makers specialising in
one or the other, but To is virtually peerless at this moment
in time. 'Breaking News' is thought-provoking, satirical,
exciting and entertaining usually at the same time, ensuring
that even viewers who appreciate a work with a little more
substance can appreciate this. Starting with a short shoot-out
that is shot in one glorious, intricate shot and then
culminating in the battle of wits in the apartment block,
'Breaking News' is the fruit of someone whose imagination and
confidence are at their peak.
'Breaking
News' is punctuated by tension-filled action set-pieces, but
its main draw is the sharp characterisation and the insightful
critique of the media that fills most of the running time. To
shows the self-importance and power of news cameras, their own
political agendas and quest for a story comes under scrutiny
by his screenplay. The media is shown to be judgemental,
manipulative yet easy to manipulate. With this satire of a
subdued Chris Morris, Johnnie To shows how little the general
public really sees of the 'truth' and how much is an edited
exercise in damage limitation by either side. To see the
newsreaders criticise a policeman for putting his hands up
when a gun is pointed directly at his head displays the kind
of self-righteous pomposity of much of the news and
information we digest.
Though
Richie Ren's name is commonly linked to light and fluffy
romantic comedies, 'Breaking News' shows exactly what he is
capable of. Though he always had a certain charm in films like
'Summer
Holiday', his performance here is a revelation as he
expertly plays against type. His character, Yeung, is not a
faceless villain, but a three-dimensional character. There is
an argument that states that Yeung is a little too
sympathetically written, a point that certainly has some
substance. Nevertheless, Ren is still to be commended for what
could be one of the best performances of his career and
perhaps its turning point. Meanwhile Nick Cheung is finally
given a chance to shed the comic pretensions of his past and
stretch his acting bility once again. The screenplay gives the
main characters, especially Yeung, a few solid scenes of poise
and development - another admirable feature of the film.
With
'Infernal
Affairs' ready to undergo the dreaded Hollywood remake, it
wouldn't be too surprising to see the rights to this bought
up. The excellent use of location - from the crowded Hong Kong
streets to the claustrophobic apartments in the latter scenes
- give 'Breaking News' an energy and intensity that few recent
productions have managed to achieve. Johnnie To keeps the
running time tight and never once loses the momentum that the
startling introduction ignites. This is likely to remain one
of the best films of 2004 and whatever Johnnie To has planned
for the future will be eagerly-awaited by all.
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