With a good, solid story, a movie doesn't need an "Infernal affair" type of convoluted script to succeed. "Protégé" is a perfect example. There are two strong story lines, none of them particularly novel, converging on drug-busting undercover cop Nick (Daniel Wu). After seven years' hard and dangerous work, he is close to winning full confidence of heroin kingpin Kwan (Andy Lau), ready for the big kill. At about the same time, he starts to develop a delicate relationship with pretty single mother Jane (Zhang Jingchu), starting out as his innocent good-natured intention to help her and her little daughter. And three cheers to the movie makers for sparing us yet another trip into the realm of undercover-syndrome complex. Thank you very much - there's been more than enough. Nick is a good guy, period.
Some say that the true protagonist in this movie is heroin, and that is not far from the truth. Very apparently, a lot of effort has been put into researching the subject. Close-up, we see production of the stuff in the "kitchen" (i.e. the secret factory) with such detail that it look like a chemistry lesson we had in high school. We are then given some rather disturbing insight into how Kwan's organization operates, by absolute compartmentalization for maximum security the "need-to-know" rule is applied to the utmost. Finally, on the global scale, we are shown the massive poppy fields in the Golden Triangle, and at the same time brought to understand that heroin is really a "sunset industry", giving way to youth-oriented drugs. There are also shrewd remarks such as the UN's reports on drug dealing becoming drug dealers' "marketing guide".
But this is not a clinical documentary. It's an intensely human story. To carry it, we need some good acting, and we have it.
Wu, as mentioned, plays a simple good guy which is not a huge challenge. He delivers. Andy Lau fans should enjoy his role here, which is quite unlike anything he had before. Here is an interesting portrayal of an evil criminal into an almost sympathy-earning character a devoted family man who is also a continually suffering invalid. The most interesting bit of psychology is his self-absolving logics, putting the blame on the end-users with such vehement intensity that the self-serving mentality is only too clear. Kwan (and all of the few in his closest confidants, for that matter) is squeaky clean when it comes to drug usage. To him, this is only a business of supply and demand. If some junkie out there wants the stuff, someone is going to sell it to them and get rich, so it may as well be Kwan himself. The movie comes dangerously to letting such a criminal getting away easily with such atrocity, had it not been for another character, Jane.
Jane is just such a junkie, and through Zhang's heart-wrenching portrayal, the audience see what drug addiction really is and the monstrosity of the people behind it. That is truly an infernal affair. Those who have seen Zhang in "Seven swords" know how good she is in portraying a character in an neurotic state of mind (in that movie it was shock from nearly being killed by a sword swinging bandit). But those who have also seen the little-known movie "Huayao bride in Shangrila" know further that she is an extremely versatile actress, as she plays there a witty, playful, mischievous young bride that delights at every turn. Zhang Jingchu is one Mainland actress to keep an eye open for.
It's quite true that this movie is formulaic and predictable, but it works, thanks to Yee Tung-shing's capable direction. But even a director as traditional as Yee cannot avoid putting in one or two grotesque "shock" scenes (think Johnny To's "Election" series). Here, we have humour as black as you want with a guy's hand not chopped off by a knife, but smashed off by repeated blows from a hammer. Owner of said hand is one of the best character actors in town Liu Kai-chi, whose "Fu Bo" is still among the top local indies. While on such matters, I must compliment Louis Koo Tin-lok on his delightful portrayal of a character that is beneath contempt, Jane's junkie husband.
Some say that the true protagonist in this movie is heroin, and that is not far from the truth. Very apparently, a lot of effort has been put into researching the subject. Close-up, we see production of the stuff in the "kitchen" (i.e. the secret factory) with such detail that it look like a chemistry lesson we had in high school. We are then given some rather disturbing insight into how Kwan's organization operates, by absolute compartmentalization for maximum security the "need-to-know" rule is applied to the utmost. Finally, on the global scale, we are shown the massive poppy fields in the Golden Triangle, and at the same time brought to understand that heroin is really a "sunset industry", giving way to youth-oriented drugs. There are also shrewd remarks such as the UN's reports on drug dealing becoming drug dealers' "marketing guide".
But this is not a clinical documentary. It's an intensely human story. To carry it, we need some good acting, and we have it.
Wu, as mentioned, plays a simple good guy which is not a huge challenge. He delivers. Andy Lau fans should enjoy his role here, which is quite unlike anything he had before. Here is an interesting portrayal of an evil criminal into an almost sympathy-earning character a devoted family man who is also a continually suffering invalid. The most interesting bit of psychology is his self-absolving logics, putting the blame on the end-users with such vehement intensity that the self-serving mentality is only too clear. Kwan (and all of the few in his closest confidants, for that matter) is squeaky clean when it comes to drug usage. To him, this is only a business of supply and demand. If some junkie out there wants the stuff, someone is going to sell it to them and get rich, so it may as well be Kwan himself. The movie comes dangerously to letting such a criminal getting away easily with such atrocity, had it not been for another character, Jane.
Jane is just such a junkie, and through Zhang's heart-wrenching portrayal, the audience see what drug addiction really is and the monstrosity of the people behind it. That is truly an infernal affair. Those who have seen Zhang in "Seven swords" know how good she is in portraying a character in an neurotic state of mind (in that movie it was shock from nearly being killed by a sword swinging bandit). But those who have also seen the little-known movie "Huayao bride in Shangrila" know further that she is an extremely versatile actress, as she plays there a witty, playful, mischievous young bride that delights at every turn. Zhang Jingchu is one Mainland actress to keep an eye open for.
It's quite true that this movie is formulaic and predictable, but it works, thanks to Yee Tung-shing's capable direction. But even a director as traditional as Yee cannot avoid putting in one or two grotesque "shock" scenes (think Johnny To's "Election" series). Here, we have humour as black as you want with a guy's hand not chopped off by a knife, but smashed off by repeated blows from a hammer. Owner of said hand is one of the best character actors in town Liu Kai-chi, whose "Fu Bo" is still among the top local indies. While on such matters, I must compliment Louis Koo Tin-lok on his delightful portrayal of a character that is beneath contempt, Jane's junkie husband.