It is par for the course that the convicted murderer gets demonised and her victim whitewashed, but I presume there was a lot more to their relationship than the movie portrayed. According to Nancy, both brothers were on Cocaine.
As far as I could make out, the film was shot cheaply with mostly fixed indoor shots and stage backdrops. Not only did the film crew not even bother to visit Hong Kong (stock footage was apparently used) they didn't research what it is like to live in Hong Kong either.
So as someone who does live here, let me put the record straight. Yes, Hong Kong returned to China in 1997 but it has a separate jurisdiction rather like the US Virgin Islands. We do not use the Chinese currency - as displayed on Kissel's desk when he came home from work - we use the Hong Kong Dollar. Hong Kong is NOT an endless collection of Skyscapers like Manhanttan - its more like New York, with distinct suburbs. The Kissels lived in an airy apartment with sweeping views of mountains and sea.
The producer obviously got his impression of Hong Kong jail cells from Mexican B movies. Totally wrong. There is no graffiti in Hong Kong cells - they are closer in comfort and design to Marine Corps boot camp blocks than anything else. Prison guards (a lot nicer than drill pigs) assigned to look after foreigners can speak English. As in the States, prisoners are given work assignments and recreation time to keep the them busy - they don't just rot away. The prison where she is located is in one of the most scenic areas of Hong Kong - but I don't know what her view is like.
Oh - and all the lawyers were British - that must have confused a few. This bit is somewhat correct (there are also Chinese lawyers). Hong Kong was formerly a British Colony and UK citizens were permitted by the handover agreement to stay on in their jobs until retirement. In addition, the legal system remains British in character (Common law like the US) - not Chinese.
The logo behind the judge is a ridiculous imitation of the Hong Kong Government Device - looks more like BP's logo.
So I'm afraid I just couldn't look past the ignorance of the film makers and enjoy the movie.
As far as I could make out, the film was shot cheaply with mostly fixed indoor shots and stage backdrops. Not only did the film crew not even bother to visit Hong Kong (stock footage was apparently used) they didn't research what it is like to live in Hong Kong either.
So as someone who does live here, let me put the record straight. Yes, Hong Kong returned to China in 1997 but it has a separate jurisdiction rather like the US Virgin Islands. We do not use the Chinese currency - as displayed on Kissel's desk when he came home from work - we use the Hong Kong Dollar. Hong Kong is NOT an endless collection of Skyscapers like Manhanttan - its more like New York, with distinct suburbs. The Kissels lived in an airy apartment with sweeping views of mountains and sea.
The producer obviously got his impression of Hong Kong jail cells from Mexican B movies. Totally wrong. There is no graffiti in Hong Kong cells - they are closer in comfort and design to Marine Corps boot camp blocks than anything else. Prison guards (a lot nicer than drill pigs) assigned to look after foreigners can speak English. As in the States, prisoners are given work assignments and recreation time to keep the them busy - they don't just rot away. The prison where she is located is in one of the most scenic areas of Hong Kong - but I don't know what her view is like.
Oh - and all the lawyers were British - that must have confused a few. This bit is somewhat correct (there are also Chinese lawyers). Hong Kong was formerly a British Colony and UK citizens were permitted by the handover agreement to stay on in their jobs until retirement. In addition, the legal system remains British in character (Common law like the US) - not Chinese.
The logo behind the judge is a ridiculous imitation of the Hong Kong Government Device - looks more like BP's logo.
So I'm afraid I just couldn't look past the ignorance of the film makers and enjoy the movie.