The 2007 Hong Kong produced film started the big production, and brought together two great directors, Peter Chan Ho-Sun and Derek Yee Tung-Sing, who are recognized as the best producer and director in the industry. This is already a guarantee of the quality of the film. Released on the Chinese New Year's schedule, a film that has absolutely no elements of the Chinese New Year film has become the highest-grossing Hong Kong film in this schedule, winning a sigh of relief for Hong Kong Cinema. The Chinese New Year film, which used to be a big blockbuster, is a formula that can sell as long as the stars perform and the plot is nonsense. It needs to be put into an ancient database. As long as the film has a certain quality and appeal, the audience will buy tickets. As for a group of filmmakers who still hold the halo of success in the 1980s and continue to make their so-called Chinese New Year films, they will only be cast aside by the audience.
"Protégé" is about drug trafficking, which is reminiscent of "Will of Iron" (1991) directed by Derek Yee's elder brother John Chiang Tai-Wai. It's also sincere and thought-provoking. Whether it's Maggie Cheung Man-Yuk and Jacky Cheung Hok-Yau in "Will of Iron", or Zhang Jingchu and Louis Koo Tin-Lok in "Protégé", they all make the audience shudder.
However, when Derek Yee dealt with Andy Lau Tak-Wah, the drug dealer's role as Lin Quin, he added a layer of the so-called "supply and demand theory" that drug dealers justified, making an excuse for their crimes, and his love for his wife and daughters, making this role flesh and blood. As for the undercover Nick, played by Daniel Wu Yin-Cho, he discovered that the reason for the drug addicts' obsession with drugs was emptiness. In the end, after facing the suicide of Lin Quin and the death of Fan, the addict's lover played by Zhang Jingchu, he also unknowingly took a risk, a trap of emptiness, rescued by Fan's young daughter.
The director is very delicate in handling the process of drug production and drug trafficking. For example, Lin Quin explained why the shape and size of heroin bricks, which drug dealers call "dollars", are for convenience of carrying; and Lin Quin discussed international heroin market with Thai drug dealer, etc. This all shows that the director, screenwriters and production team have done a lot of data collection and research, and there is no lack of showing off, but the overall effect makes the film more textured. The only minor flaw is the drug addict played by Louis Koo. Although he plays very seriously, his sturdy physique makes it impossible to believe that he's an addict. On the contrary, Zhang Jingchu, who also plays an addict, is relatively realistic.
By Kam Po LAM (original in Chinese)
"Protégé" is about drug trafficking, which is reminiscent of "Will of Iron" (1991) directed by Derek Yee's elder brother John Chiang Tai-Wai. It's also sincere and thought-provoking. Whether it's Maggie Cheung Man-Yuk and Jacky Cheung Hok-Yau in "Will of Iron", or Zhang Jingchu and Louis Koo Tin-Lok in "Protégé", they all make the audience shudder.
However, when Derek Yee dealt with Andy Lau Tak-Wah, the drug dealer's role as Lin Quin, he added a layer of the so-called "supply and demand theory" that drug dealers justified, making an excuse for their crimes, and his love for his wife and daughters, making this role flesh and blood. As for the undercover Nick, played by Daniel Wu Yin-Cho, he discovered that the reason for the drug addicts' obsession with drugs was emptiness. In the end, after facing the suicide of Lin Quin and the death of Fan, the addict's lover played by Zhang Jingchu, he also unknowingly took a risk, a trap of emptiness, rescued by Fan's young daughter.
The director is very delicate in handling the process of drug production and drug trafficking. For example, Lin Quin explained why the shape and size of heroin bricks, which drug dealers call "dollars", are for convenience of carrying; and Lin Quin discussed international heroin market with Thai drug dealer, etc. This all shows that the director, screenwriters and production team have done a lot of data collection and research, and there is no lack of showing off, but the overall effect makes the film more textured. The only minor flaw is the drug addict played by Louis Koo. Although he plays very seriously, his sturdy physique makes it impossible to believe that he's an addict. On the contrary, Zhang Jingchu, who also plays an addict, is relatively realistic.
By Kam Po LAM (original in Chinese)