By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.75 cats
Director: Cheang Pou-Soi
Starring: Alexander Chan | Louis Koo | Michelle Ye | Richie Ren | Shui-Fan Fung | Suet Lam
Original language title: Yi Ngoi
Country: hong_kong
Year: 2009
Running time: 89
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1202514/
Bruce says: “Not often do I wish that a foreign film would be remade by Hollywood but ACCIDENT is the perfect candidate. My hope is that some clarity would be added to the film, thus ratcheting it up the cat rankings. The risk, of course, is that the spontaneity of the original would be destroyed.
“As the film begins we see a car crash; the driver is partially pushed through the windshield just before the car goes up in flames. We assume this is a gruesome accident. Next we see a traffic jam. It begins with a flat tire. A man is desperately trying to drive through and his progress is further impeded by a street cleaning truck. As he swerves to avoid collision, his car rams into a storefront with a large banner hanging down. As the driver gets out of the car to extricate the vehicle from the debris, the banner falls and kills him. What a horrible accident! Hardly. This is the work of a group of paid assassins who stage elaborate scenarios to make their work appear serendipitous.
“The ringleader of the team is Ho Kwak-fai (Louis Koo) also known as The Brain. His team members include uncle (Shui-Fan Fung), Fatty (Suet Lam) and a woman (Michelle Ye). All are nondescript types that are easily absorbed into the blur of a bustling street scene. We learn that the woman in the opening scene’s car crash was The Brain’s wife and that, too, may not have been a real accident. The Brain is becoming obsessed with the fact that a rival assassination gang may be on his team’s tail. Paranoia overtakes him as his imagination runs wild. The brain is always worried about being followed. He comes to believe that Chan Fong-chow (Richie Ren), a minor insurance executive, is the force behind the plot against his team; he rents an apartment in Chan Fong-chow’s building in hopes he will discover the plot against his team. The next assassination, intricately staged, goes awry and The Brain feels compelled to place blame.Soon he starts to suspect his own team members of deceit and betrayal. As his suspicions mount he becomes delusional which leads him to rash behavior.
“ACCIDENT keeps one on the edge of the seat because it is never evident which way the film might turn. Cheang Pou-Soi’s film is entertaining and surprisingly thought provoking. 3 1/2 cats
(ACCIDENT screened at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival.)”
Thom says: “An execution consortium has a controlled way of doing their ‘hits’ to make them look like accidents. After one of the crew dies an accidental death during the performance of a well-orchestrated killing the leader of the cartel starts to become ultra-paranoid about his job & other workmates. The great Suet Lam plays Fatty, one of the crew who is always eating. The film is highly motivated albeit quite confusing. Often it was difficult to separate the killers from those being killed. Many Johnny To elements are fine. 4 cats”