A Touch of Evil (1995)

Director: Tony Au Ting-ping

Producer: Yip Kwong-kim

Cast: Tony Leung Kar-fai, Rosamund Kwan Chi-lam, Michael Wong Man-Tak, Elizabeth Lee Mei-Fung, Kwan Hoi-san, Lung Fung

Running Time: 103 min.

Plot: See Gwailo's review below.

GWAILO'S REVIEW: Art Director Tony Au (Christ of Nanjing, Au Revoir Mon Amour) turns mainstream with this tough cop-thriller genre film. A long haired Michael Wong plays King, the right hand man to the leader of a triad that smuggles drugs from Pakistan. Tony Leung Kar-Fai plays Tony, a gruff, suave HK narcotics detective who mistakes Coco, an uncommon turn by Rosamund Kwan, for King's galpal. Down on her luck and struggling for a buck, Tony bribes Coco into helping him take down King and his smuggling syndicate. Trouble rises and double crosses abound when Coco falls for King. This film is nothing short of insane. It's amazing. The characters rant, rave, piss, moan, and carry on the entire film's length and it's fascinating. There is nothing to like about these people. They are mean, nasty, and self serving trash. Yet you can't take your eyes off of them. You are drawn in to their nastiness and feel you need to know their fate. Rich camera-work works well with the sharp, double-crossing plot. ATOE spits energy at you that's unrelenting. By films end you feel wasted, a bit dirty by your affiliation with these monsters. A totally insane film, well worth the watch. By the by, Tony Leung Kar-Fai was also in director Au's The Christ of Nanjing.

GWAILO'S RATING: 8.5/10