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Exiled

Written By Nobuhiro Hosoki

Jonnie To has engraved his name into film history as a significant crime-action master who has inspired a cult following around the globe. His latest offering, "Exiled," is set in the Portuguese colony pf Macao in 1998, right before it was handed over to mainland China. He has here reassembled stars from his 1999 "The Mission" to the tune of flying bullets and bloodbath.

The film begins with a confrontation between two groups of childhood friends sitting around outside the home of the exiled mobster Wo (Nick Cheung), who has been marked for death due to a failure in assassinating his boss Fey (Simon Yam). They simply come to snuff him, and soon a storm of shots are blasting out in the air, but with Wo's wife and new born baby there, a code of masculine honor takes over
their reminiscing minds. Strangely, they agree to put down the guns and repair the damage, and reorganize their gang bond by sharing a meal and group photos.

Meanwhile, boss Fey is planning to move his power base in Macao and wants revenge on old enemy. Eventually, new team members are squaring off against a malicious gang boss. Throughout the film, characters like Blaze (Anthony Wong) and Fat (Lam Suet), then Tai(Francis Ng) and Cat (Roy Cheung) speak minimal dialogue only when  necessary, establishing that while law and order doesn't exist, they still have kindly hearts. In particularly, Anthony Wong depicts a great range of conflicting inner emotions that makes him stunningly charismatic among Asian actors.

Director Jonnie To fills the screen with a stylized battle that borrows from Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns, mixing it up with black humor-- like the almost retired police officer who is terrified to relocate on the scene of an imminent shoot-out because he is on the verge of getting his pension. To lavishly captures the stylistic excess of the gunplay action with amazing choreography and hints of loyalty and kindness, so this simply becomes a sharp and shrewd thriller flick.

Produced and directed by Johnnie To
Written by Szeto Kam Yuen and Yip Tin Shin
Director of photography: Cheng Siu Keung
Edited by David Richardson
Music by Guy Zerafa
Art director:Tony Yu
Released by Magnolia Pictures.
Running time: 113 minutes.

Cast: Anthony Wong (Blaze)
Francis Ng (Tai)
Nick Cheung (Wo)
Josie Ho (Jin)
Roy Cheung (Cat)
Lam Suet (Fat)
Richie Jen (Sergeant Chen)
Simon Yam (Boss Fay),
and Lam Ka Tung (Boss Keung).