Whenever I go through an actor’s filmography, I usually get to a point where, once I’m past the readily-available projects and going on more of a scavenger hunt to watch the harder-to-find stuff, I’m less likely to come across something really good. In other words, there’s usually a reason why certain films are listed at the top of the Netflix search results, and there’s usually a reason why certain others were never commercially released in the U.S. and I scope out Ebay for region-free copies that are available from other countries. So, I wind up getting to a point where a lot of what I’m seeing are lesser examples of an actor’s work, and I’d say that pattern’s borne out with A Little TLC(w) – even though I have still uncovered some pretty good stuff, along with others that I’ve really enjoyed even as I’ve acknowledged that their quality is kind of dubious. The Longest Nite, though? This is just a good movie.
Sam, a dirty cop, is helping to broker a deal between two rival triad bosses, but on the eve of their negotiations, things start to go south. As he attempts to stave off any attempts at retribution long enough to save the deal, he finds he’s dogged by a mysterious stranger. Determined not to let anything upset the negotiations, Sam takes it upon himself to deal with this unknown element.
Tony Leung Chiu-wai has been in a ton of triad movies, and while I wouldn’t put The Longest Nite quite up there with Hard Boiled or Infernal Affairs, it’s still a strong triad action thriller. It has a coolness about it and a lot of grit. I’d say that the climactic showdown at the end is a little too stylized and impressed with itself, but other than that, the action is effective and hard-hitting. But even more than the fists and the guns, the movie does a great job showing the mental fight involved. There’s Tony (the mysterious stranger) putting wheels in motion for his mission, Sam balancing his exterior life as a cop and his secret one liaising with crime lords, and, of course, the gripping interplay between the two men.
I spent a portion of the film trying to figure out where I’d seen Lau Ching Wan, who plays Tony, before, and it turns out he was in The Great Magician, playing Leung’s rival. Here, he faces off against Leung’s Sam, but in a very different way than that other film! Lau is excellent in the role – there’s a menacing patience to Tony, this sense that he always has the upper hand and is just waiting for the opportune moment to turn the tables.
Which leads us to Leung as Sam. I’ve talked a lot about Leung’s many charming scoundrels and his many soulful romantics, and he plays variations on either type with great skill (though of course I have my personal favorites!) It’s much rarer to see him play an out-and-out bad guy – I mean, even most of the criminals he’s played are basically good people at heart! – and this particular performance feels different from the few other legit bad guys I’ve seen him play. On those rare occasions, I typically feel a coldness from his characters, this implacable, almost reptilian sense of distance. Sam, on the other hand, is a very warm character.
But it’s subtle. Man, it’s so subtle. I love performances like this from Leung, movies like The Grandmaster where you have to see it a couple times before you even recognize half the things he’s doing. It would be easy to look at Sam and say Leung is too understated, almost flat in the role, but it’s all simmering just under the surface. Even as Sam gives off this air of being untouchable, unflappable, you can feel the desperation he’s masking. He’s playing with fire and he knows it, and he’s ruthlessly good at what he does because he has to be. We don’t know how he became so corrupt and got involved with the triads, but now that he’s in it, he’s aware that one wrong move will bring it all down and he’s not about to let that happen.
Recommend?
In General – Yes. Cool action thriller with strong acting and good character work.
Tony Leung Chiu-wai – Oh, yeah. I’ve never seen Leung play a role quite like this, and he’s superb in it.
Warnings
Strong violence, drinking/smoking, gross-out moments, and thematic elements.
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