REVIEW: A Witness Out Of The Blue (2019)
What kind of movie do you get if you cross Louis Koo and a parrot? Some people would say that would be every movie he is in, but I disagree.
** Please note ** this was one of my first ever movie reviews. My apologies for it being so boring.
It’s a weak name for a movie, and in fact its literal Chinese translation is “The Scene of the Crime”, but with star power including my favourite Hong Kong actor Louis Koo, Louis Cheung (Kai-Chung Cheng), Anita Mui (Jessica Hsuan maybe? - 2023 Dan), Phillip Keung and Cherry Ngan, there’s no shortage of recognisable Hong Kong cinema alumni to keep you interested.
And the story? We get a well-crafted mystery thriller about a thief trying to recover his jewellery story heist loot while simultaneously being hunted by police and a mysterious third party who seem intent on wiping him and his gang out.
It’s another surprising and exciting Hong Kong thriller, not quite reminiscent of the films of the late 90’s, but with enough inspiration from that era to keep you hooked.
Read on to find out more about A Witness Out of the Blue.
Plot
Police Detectives Lam and Charmaine are investing the murder of a drug addict Tsui, who was part of a gang responsible for a large jewelry store heist 3 months earlier that resulted in the death of an undercover cop. The only witness to the crime is a parrot.
Inspector Yip, their immediate supervisor, instantly suspects Sean Wong, played by Louis Koo, who is the ringleader of the gang who performed the heist. However, as more gang members end up dead, Detective Lam starts to suspect there is another person committing the murders, and he starts looking into…
Hold on, I’m going to stop right there. To tell you anymore would give away too much vital information about the film, and this is one film I’d like to recommend you watch not knowing any more than what I’ve already said.
Hong Kong movies have struggled lately with their sense of identity – the gritty Hong Kong crime dramas and thrillers we were privy to in the late 90’s have slowly eroded into more consumable by-the-books movies aimed more at the mainland Chinese. This movie feels like it wants to remind the audience that Hong Kong still has that ability to connect to its audience.
We don’t get such a clear black and white image of the police in this film – they’re flawed and they’re vulnerable. And even at time inept. But they can still get the job done.
Louis Koo as the main “bad guy” turns over a stellar performance in the role of Sean Wong. Initially he seems like the villain, but like any good crime thriller, there’s far more to his character than meets the eye. A recurring motif of the ants being a vital clue to understand his inner psyche, and ends up adding another complex layer to his character. He isn’t just a cold hearted criminal, he shows mercy and kindness where needed, and even a spot of remorse.
However as fantastic as Louis Koo is, the real highlight of the movie is Louis Cheung as Detective Larry Lam. Another complex yet flawed character who either deliberately or in-avertedly seems to reject the subtle advances of his younger and attractive colleague Charmaine, and choose instead to find solace in all the cats he has adopted, as well as adopting the only witness: the parrot.
The parrot seems to be the biggest flaw with this movie however, really not having a place in the overall scheme of things. A comedic device, it mostly falls flat and thus is really unwarranted. It does play a rather major part towards the end of the film, but it would have been good to see the writer and director use the parrot in a better, smarter way in the first half of the film.
Otherwise, we’re left with a rather solid mystery thriller that does signal its ending very early for those in tune with what’s going on. Having said that, it doesn’t detract from the entire film, and this is a good example of the journey being just as good as the reward at the end. This is very much recommended.
Have you seen or are interested in watching A Witness Out of the Blue? Let me know what you thought of it in the comments and if you agree or disagree with my review.
Genre Thriller
Director Fung Chih-chiang
Starring Louis Koo, Louis Cheung, Philip Keung
Original Title 犯罪現場
Country of Origin Hong Kong
Release Date October 24 2019