Cold War (2012) (DVD) (Hong Kong Version) DVD Region 3

The film kicks off with the mysterious theft of an Emergency Unit police van and the kidnapping of the officers on board, a shocking crime which flies in the face of Hong Kong being known as the safest city in Asia and which was carried out despite the police force's sophisticated surveillance and tracking technology. With his son (Eddie Peng) being one of the hostages, Deputy Commissioner M.B. Lee (Tony Leung Ka Fai) takes charge of the investigation, codenamed Cold War though is soon butting heads with fellow deputy Sean Lau (Aaron Kwok). After Lee fails to solve the case quickly, Lau steps in and takes over, accusing him of being emotionally compromised due to the involvement of his son. However, Lau similarly fails, his attempt to pay off the kidnappers' ransom demands resulting in the loss of over $50 million. With it seeming like there might be a mole in the department, the ICAC (Independent Commission Against Corruption) step in, young investigator Billy Cheung (Aarif Lee) receiving anonymous tipoffs that Lee and Lau are hiding something behind their professional facades.

Its immediately clear that Infernal Affairs comparisons are entirely apt, as Cold War aims for the same kind of multi-layered plotting and scheming, with its large cast of characters all having their own motivations and hidden agendas. Sharing similar themes of corruption in the police force and the thin dividing line between upholding the law and acting criminally, the film also resembles the third Infernal Affairs pretty closely, with the same focus on departmental politics, internal investigations, and shifting allegiances. This is all well and good, since Cold War has enough idea of its own to differentiate it, and though at times somewhat wrapped up in its own importance and jingoism, it offers a gripping and pleasingly intelligent story as well as a convincing and grounded bit of police procedural. Though the final wrap up is a perhaps a little limp and preachy (leaving things open for the possibility of a not unwelcome sequel), Longman Leung and Sunny Luk also earn points for generally sticking to their guns, the film feeling more like an authentically Hong Kong thriller than other recent more Mainland-pandering genre efforts.

Given the heavy-hitting cast, the film is unsurprisingly very much an actors' affair, being quite dialogue focused and cramming in lots of scenes of shouting and intense staring. Certainly, Leung and Luk rely to a large extent during the first half on Aaron Kwok and Tony Leung to generate tension and drama through their rivalry, and so it's just as well that the two are on great form, the latter in particular having a great time chewing the scenery. The rest of the cast are also solid, and the attention that the script pays to the supporting characters is very rewarding, helping the film to rise above being too much of a star vehicle. Even Michael Wong and Andy Lau fit in, and despite basically playing themselves, their appearances add to the overall entertainment value and don't stand out as much as might be feared.

Though predominantly revolving around suspense and power struggles, the film does pack in a fair amount of action, with some very well handled large scale set pieces that show much better use of special effects than many other recent Hong Kong thrillers. The action choreography by Chin Ka Lok (who has worked on an impressive list of recent films including Motorway, The Viral Factor, Triple Tap and more) is top notch, and this helps to keep things moving at a fast pace, some nicely-timed explosions and shoot outs providing respite from the non-stop confrontations and shouting matches. The film is very well directed in general, Leung and Luk doing a great and incredibly assured job, managing to pack in plenty of eye-catching visuals and style, boosted by the excellent production values provided by what must have been a considerable budget.

All of this is more than enough to justify Cold War as being the Hong Kong event film of the last year, and one of its more accomplished thrillers for some time, Longman Leung and Sunny Luk making a real impact with their debut feature. Though undeniably a bit overblown and over-convinced of its own importance, the film shows a rare mix of intelligence and thrills, and whether or not it stands the test of time like Infernal Affairs it's definitely the closest thing audiences are likely to see for now.

by James Mudge – BeyondHollywood.com