Back together at the helm of Mad Detective, Johnnie To and Wai Ka-
fai have set incendiary cinematic material ablaze to create a fiery
action drama. This film is both a thrilling adventure exposing the
dark side of Hong Kong¡¦s police force and a fascinating journey
into the meanderings of a contorted mind.
In one of his best performances to date, Lau Ching-wan plays the
multi-dimensional role of Bun, an outcast detective whose psychotic
personality and unorthodox investigative methods have cost him his
job ¡V even though he has always solved the cases entrusted to him.
After cutting off his own ear and offering it as a gift at a party
in honour of one of his superiors, Bun is forced into retirement. He
lives in seclusion, haunted by the ghosts of his vocation. But he
has a special gift: he can see the personalities and inner demons of
the people he meets. The visions appear in front of him,
materializations of greed or gluttony, of violence and fears ¡V fat,
sweaty guys and sexy ladies alike. The images make him act
strangely, but they also help him solve mysteries, exposing
criminals¡¦ real intentions, often in loud and explicit ways.
The only person who still believes in Bun is power-hungry inspector
Ho (Andy On). Ho is determined to solve the complex case of a
missing police gun and its vanished owner, Wong (Lee Kwok Lun), who
disappeared while pursuing suspects in the mountains. Wong¡¦s
partner, Chi-wai (Lam Ka Tung), is also behaving oddly, appearing to
have seven conflicting personalities.
The consummate skill of both To and Wai in scripting and directing a
complex story of crime and madness carries the film from start to
finish. Beginning with a quest for answers, Mad Detective becomes a
breathtaking roller coaster of delightfully off-kilter events. The
film audaciously twists truth and reality, taking schizophrenic
turns when we least expect it. It surprises and satisfies, yet
leaves the audience thirsty for more crimes to be solved in Bun¡¦s
special way.
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