I'm not as head over heels in love with To as some people are, for every film I utterly adore (Exiled, Mad Detective, The Mission, Breaking News, Election) there are films which I just can't get into (PTU, Full Time Killer). When his films work for me, they really work, and when they don't I find myself put off by his stylisations. He's an immensely cool director and as such when you're in synch with him there's nothing quite like his films, but when you're on the outside looking in it's easy to be put off by his affectations.
Sparrow is a film that I adored when I first saw it last year, and upon watching it again on DVD recently I realised that in terms of pure watchability it's one of my favourite films by the director. As you'd expect from Hong Kong cinema, and To's back catalogue, it's about the ties that bind men together but instead of the fatalism of his previous films this movie is happy to glide by and return its characters to where they started. It's a snapshot of a life, and it's a wonderfully represented life, with To's camera and the natural charm of the actors giving real warmth to a bunch of essential reprobates. Whilst the story is lightweight, it never feels flimsy, and feels completely in keeping the tone of the film intact. It's a playful film, the moments of calm in his previous films stretched out to feature length, and the effect is often disarmingly charming. It's flashy and cool, but it also feels old fashioned and, for lack of a better word, sweet.
Sparrow is a film that I adored when I first saw it last year, and upon watching it again on DVD recently I realised that in terms of pure watchability it's one of my favourite films by the director. As you'd expect from Hong Kong cinema, and To's back catalogue, it's about the ties that bind men together but instead of the fatalism of his previous films this movie is happy to glide by and return its characters to where they started. It's a snapshot of a life, and it's a wonderfully represented life, with To's camera and the natural charm of the actors giving real warmth to a bunch of essential reprobates. Whilst the story is lightweight, it never feels flimsy, and feels completely in keeping the tone of the film intact. It's a playful film, the moments of calm in his previous films stretched out to feature length, and the effect is often disarmingly charming. It's flashy and cool, but it also feels old fashioned and, for lack of a better word, sweet.
