City On Fire

$$ID=Ringo Lam$$'s breakthrough hit was first in the "undercover cop" genre to gain prominence in mainstream Hong Kong cinema. A stylized film, it captures gritty Hong Kong street life amidst a neon-lit backdrop of smoky jazz and frantic action with a nod to Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner". It is also the first film to pair $$ID=Chow Yun Fat$$ and $$ID=Danny Lee$$, whose on screen chemistry would later be repeated in John Woo's "The Killer". Chow plays undercover cop Jeff Ko who infiltrates a gang of bank robbers headed by Tiger (Danny Lee) but becomes tormented by conflicting choices of duty and friendship. Jeff embodies the individual caught in the grey middle ground, as his relationship with Tiger takes a personal turn and he discovers that his allegiances are not as simple as black or white. The situation intensifies as the heist goes awry and culminates in a heated face-off between the leads (the first time this ubiquitous shootout scene was choreographed. in the memory of this writer). Indeed the plot and staging of Quentin Tarantino's acclaimed "Reservoir Dogs" owes much to this film and Stanley Kubrick's "The Killing". Highly recommended to fans of the genre!

Review Courtesy Of Neil Koch