Nessun Dorma (2016) Review

“Nessun Dorma” Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Herman Yau
Cast: Gordon Lam Ka-Tung, Janice Man Wing-San, Andy Hui, Candice Yu On-On, Jacky Choi Kit, Wilfred Lau Ho-Lung, Tarah Chan Yi-Lam, Phat Chan Fei
Running Time: 94 min. 

By Paul Bramhall

Out of all the Hong Kong directors who started out during the territory’s cinematic heyday, it’s only Herman Yau who continues to be as prolific today as he was during his 90’s peak. While Yau’s expansive filmography as a director spans the gamut of genres, it’s safe to say that for aficionados of HK cinema, it’s his Cat III outings with Anthony Wong in the 90’s that he’s most fondly remembered for. 1993’s The Untold Story and 1996’s Ebola Syndrome are considered pinnacles of the genre, and justifiably so, being entertaining exercises in wild excess anchored by Wong’s unhinged performances. Understandably, fans get excited whenever Yau returns to his Cat III horror roots, although they’ve been few and far between since.

During the 2010’s Yau helmed an impressive 18 movies in the directors chair, in addition to co-directing 3 more, and the mid-10’s in particular saw him return to the world of Cat III horror. Beginning with 2015’s divisive Sara, and ending with 2017’s Anthony Wong reunion The Sleep Curse, wedged in-between is the 2016 production Nessun Dorma. Yau also made the triad satire The Mobfathers in 2016, which the eagle eyed amongst you may notice also stars Anthony Wong and was slapped with a Cat III rating, but here it’s based purely on the content involving triads, which saw the rating as the default in the Mainland dominated post-2010 world. 

Nessun Dorma takes its name from the well-known aria that’s a part of the 1926 opera Turnadot. One of the few operas to be set in China (or possibly the only one), the story involves a Prince who falls in love with the icy Princess Turandot, and is tasked with solving 3 riddles if he’s to be granted permission to marry her. The catch is, if he gets any of the riddles wrong, he’ll be executed. Of course things get messy as with any classic opera love story, but that’s the only part of the plot worth explaining in the context to the movie, as its connections are tenuous at best. We’re presented with the 3 riddles, however the connection they have to the overall plot is largely meaningless, leaving Nessun Dorma to carve out its own identity.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing, unless you were hoping to see how an Italian opera can be adapted into a Hong Kong Cat III horror, so instead we’re introduced to a dog shelter owner played by Janice Man. After witnessing Man lay an impressive beatdown on Nick Cheung in 2015’s Helios I was looking forward to seeing more of her in action, and while Nessun Dorma is a very different beast to her previous role, it does give her an opportunity to play the lead (a rarity for any Hong Kong actress in todays climate). Man is due to marry a successful businessman in a few days, played by the omnipresent Gordon Lam (Paradox, The Brink), however secretly wants to be with a quiet but comforting maths prodigy (yes you read that right) played by Andy Hui (Future Cops, Wonder Seven).

After attending the opera with Lam and her mother (played by Shaw Brothers regular Candice Yu), Man arrives back at her apartment to learn that Hui has left a package for her with the building’s concierge. Driving to his place to confront him, the pair kiss and decide to end it, leaving Man to drive back home through a storm battered night. She never makes it back though, and instead finds herself abducted, waking up naked and tied to a bed in a shipping container. Subjected to blindingly bright light and constant renditions of Nessun Dorma, her abductor’s intentions are never clear, leaving Man to try and figure out who her masked captor is through a series of flashback scenes.

To be clear, despite the Cat III rating (and the version reviewed being the Restricted Uncut one available on Hong Kong Blu-ray), Nessun Dorma still feels relatively safe compared to the expectations that are associated with the genre. Man may be naked, but there’s no nudity on display, with the frame of the bed being used to obscure any risqué exposure, and the harsh lighting ensuring we never see more than blurred outlines. Instead, Yau creates a largely plot driven piece, one which gradually begins to unravel under the weight of its own believability stretching plot twists and exposition heavy explanations between characters. There could well be a good movie in there somewhere, but it somewhat feels like a Herman Yau directed Cat III horror is the square peg to the round hole that is Nessun Dorma’s plot.

The script (by frequent Yau collaborator Erica Li, adapting her own novel) does its best to throw the audience off. There’s Gordon Lam’s driver, who’s lingering looks at Man hint at possible ill intent, and the scarred security guard of her apartment complex, who’s only purpose seems to be to provide a couple of unearned loud jump scares. However anyone who’s seen any number of similar movies will quickly see through such cheap red herrings, and with such a small main cast, the more intriguing question becomes the who and the why. Man herself gives a serviceable performance, and it’s undoubtably the most daring one from any Hong Kong actress in a long time, however she never really switches from victim mode. Even during the revenge fuelled finale, the feeling of empowerment that’s such a crucial aspect of such scenes is missing.

Andy Hui may be one of Hong Kong’s most successful singers, but unlike his peers Andy Lau and Aaron Kwok, he’s never made a lasting impression on the big screen. His performance here won’t change that, but he does enough to sell the legitimacy of his character. It’s Gordon Lam who’s clearly having the best time, having first worked with Yau on 2009’s The First 7th Night (my favorite of Yau’s post-2000 output), it’s clear that as a director and actor the pair work well together. Lam seems to relish the opportunity to play a character who initially seems like a decent enough guy, but who we quickly come to learn has an unpleasant side. From illegal trading to frolicking around with hostesses, his main reason for wanting to marry Man is because she’s “clean”, and when he learns of her abduction his reaction is far from understanding. 

Despite the illogical twists and unrelatable characters, my biggest problem with Nessun Dorma was its attitude to rape, both the act itself and the consequences of it. While it hardly seems appropriate to be complaining about the subject within the Cat III genre (there is a whole franchise called Raped by an Angel after all), here it left a bad taste in the mouth. From the way Lam proceeds to slap Man around upon learning that she was assaulted during her abduction, to even more alarmingly, the relationship that proceeds to unfold between Man and the rapist once she uncovers who it was. The following year after Nessun Dorma was released the #metoo movement swept the world, and I have a feeling that if it was pitched just a year later it’d be unlikely to have been green lit.

Yau does allow things to get gory for the finale, but similar to The Sleep Curse the following year, there’s an inescapable feeling that the gore is there because it’s expected to be rather than a natural part of the story. On the plus side it’s done practically and there’s no ugly CGI blood to distract from the scene, however the likes of Port of Call from the year prior show how a solid Cat III thriller can be made and still incorporate some grisly scenes into the plot. In Nessun Dorma that balance isn’t quite there.

With its muddled timelines, unconvincing character motivations, and pedestrian direction, Nessun Dorma feels like a missed opportunity, one that could have been more fully realised in the hands of another director. While Yau crafts an effective opening third, frustratingly too many elements go off track despite the punchy 90-minute runtime, to the point where it becomes difficult to give Nessun Dorma anymore than a faint recommendation for fans of Herman Yau. Who knows, maybe a Cat III adaption of an Italian opera wouldn’t have been such a bad idea after all?

Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 5/10