So far this year for mine the contenders had been City of God[(Brazil), Infernal Affairs(Hong Kong) and Auto Focus] (United States). But on Saturday night a new film stepped up to the plate and made it's claim to the throne heard, (one may say it threw down the gaulent) the film was Running on Karma, (Hong Kong).

Some background to the cast and crew of R.O.K.. Directing duties were handled by Johnny To, a mainstream director known for smart scripts of intervening nature compounded with heavy bloodletting long before Tarantino had left that video store, and Wai Ka Fai, an art house director known for making beautiful looking films which usually had under-developed characters, (think Chow Yun-Fat's Peace Hotel).

The main actor is Andy Lau. Easily the biggest actor to never try to break into Amerikkkan mainstream from Asia, Lau is like a Tom Cruise type, young and fashionable (but now like Cruise is aging), and his films usually make a llllllloooooottttt of money, even if they aren't all that great. Oh and yes, on the side he's a bit of a popstar. I'd never actually liked Lau, but he had done a couple of decent films recently, the passable Fulltime Killer (another Johnny To/Wai Ka Fai film) and the excellent Infernal Affairs with the king on Wong Kar-Wai films Tony Leung Chui-Wai, (think John Woo's Bullet in the Head and Hard Boiled plus Wong Kar-Wai's Chungking Express, In the Mood for Love and Happy Together). The supporting actress is twenty-three year old Cecilia Cheung, (think Shoalin Soccer, Tokoyo Raiders and Tsui Hark's The Legend of Zu)who really has done anything of real note to a non-Hong Kong fanatic.

Ok now for the film. To label this in one genre would be the height of arrogance, because despite being advertised as an action film, it is far from it. In fact it's far from anything. I went with a seasoned Hong Kong film watcher, and a mainstream American orientated viewer. Not one of us could tell which way this film would go. None of us could predict what was going to happen next. The plot of this film is fantastic. However one must go into this film with no preconceptions, so to read anymore than I will lay out below would be foolish.

The opening scene shows Lau[ doing a strip act in a nightclub in believe or not, a huge rubber suit that's meant to make him look more buff than Vin Diesel. Ok, Hong Kong doesn't have the biggest budgets, this suit is here to stay and folds whenever Lau moves, (and funnily enough he's naked for about a quarter of the film). Nearby a C.I.D. investigation is proceeding and when the victim runs from the scene at the same time that Lau the stripper runs from an undercover cop (Cheung) the paths cross but the story doesn't come together as one might expect. What does happen? Get into the film and find out.

Now the film starts out as a sleazy comedy, moves to a crime thriller, moves to a martial arts flick, to a romantic comedy, to a supernatural thriller, to a ...it goes on and on, and it would seem to a mess, but except for a small flat spot about and hour and twenty in this film stays brilliant. Unlike P.T.U. Johnny To actually remembered to write a third act, and let me just say that the last act has some absolutely classic scenes, (and yes, I can see American cinema copying it in five years or less). Wirework is used how it should be done, as is what has always been Asian style cinema, but in the west has now been dubbed Matrix-like fights.

Some classic scenes I can mention without ruining the plot: about five or so tasteful but bloodily decapitations by a Japanese with a samurai sword. An almost vigilante like police-captain hitting a bag with a very flexible man inside it with the butt of his shotgun until the bag becomes bloodstained. An amazing fight in front of a huge statue of Budda. A classic scene that I can't describe due to spoilers involving a rock, a stick and a handy cam, (you'll known what I mean when you see it). And oh yes the one scene I can definitely see American copying involving a tissue, (yes that's right a tissue)!

Now how can you see this film? Well I saw it on a one-night only preview screening in Adelaide on Saturday the 27th of September, despite it being released in Hong Kong on October 1st, (this coming Wednesday). I've heard that it will be showing in Melbourne this week, if you can't catch it you may have to wait for dvd and vcd import. Hopefully Miracut won't touch this one.

Eight out of Ten.

Peace. Scott.

Johnnie To supernatural film with some Buddhist elements. Two-part movie: first part they are catching Indian murderer, second-part reveals Big past and the secret behind Sun-Ko

First part 9/10 Second part 5/10

I will list three major reasons why this film should rock your world: 1. (The action.) It is a mixture of Chinese-martial and superhero choreography. The protagonist and the various "villains" he encounters are over-the-top, their abilities are by all means supernatural, there's nothing believable about them. All this exists in a contemporary Hong Kong setting. The film isn't even about kung-fu or wild action sequences. This is brilliant.

2. (Andy Lau showing off his skills with a piece of tissue.) The most original way of demonstrating martial art skills of all time.

3. (Unconventional genre mixing.) It has action, it has comedy, and it has philosophical depth. It features Andy Lau in a goddamn body-suit. There's a love story. It's a tragic love story. There's a tragic love story involving Andy-freaking-Lau in a goddamn body-suit. He does kung fu. There are cops. There's mystery. There's a detective story. This is very brilliant.

I find this film brilliant. There's no other adjective I find more fitting. Every word of that screenplay and every movement captured by the director (Johnnie To), is goddamn brilliant.

Along with One Nite In Mongkok, this was my favourite HK film of 2004.