The most movie I’ve seen recently is Johnnie To’s Chasing Dream. Not the best movie, but truly the most from how it's stuffed to the brim with setpieces, ideas, flourishes, hard turns into/from moods, inspired sparks of lunacy. It's the MMA-singing contest-gangster-stripper-car wash-comedy-romance-crime movie of the year.
If you’re unfamiliar with To, part of that may come with his lack of a distinctive auteur brand. He’s acknowledged for his Election series (2005-2006) and the masterful Drug War (2012), both powerful crime movies with a surging sense of pure dread. But he’s also likely to be recognised for the Don’t Go Breaking My Heart series of romcoms (2011-2014), off-kilter sleuth tales (2007’s Mad Detective; 2013’s Blind Detective), broad comedies (2001’s Love on a Diet) and insane superhero… things (1993’s The Heroic Trio, starring Michelle Yeoh, Maggie Cheung and Anita Mui).
A pretty diverse career, to say the least. And while you can easily watch any number of his films — Drug War can be streamed on Shudder, Don’t Go Breaking My Heart 1 & 2 on Netflix, etc. — much of his oeuvre isn’t as widely available as it should be. Which is how we get films like The Mission uploaded onto YouTube with burnt-in English subtitles, misrepresenting both its and the filmmaker’s reputation. You can argue that because of To’s versatility, it becomes harder to build a consistent narrative around the marketing of his filmography, particularly his films that don’t function as criminology. At the same time, The Mission displays To’s moviemaking skills near the peak of their powers, was heavily acclaimed upon release, and has gained a reputation in film critic circles as a crime movie masterpiece. I just don’t know why it’s not easily available. (There’s a French DVD on Amazon that’s about €90+ if you want to cop that. No English subtitles, though. Désolé.)
Ostensibly about five men hired to protect a Triad boss who’s being targeted for assassination, the film is more about creating a vibe. “We’re meant to see action,” moans Roy (an intense Francis Ng), one of the men in question. “Not loiter around like hookers.” Oh, but the loitering is magical. Rarely have I seen a film that highlights the mundanity of everyday crime: eating ready-made supermarket sandwiches, drinking another pot of coffee in the kitchen, playing makeshift games in an office building’s reception area, walking through Tsuen Wan Plaza just to feel something. The mission promised by the film’s title feels as though it may never end, its lawlessness as everyday as any other occurrence in Tsim Sha Tsui.
When the action kicks off, it’s always encroaching on the mundane: cat-and-mouse games in one of Kowloon’s many sports bars, tortures in motorway underpasses, shootouts in over-lit malls. The men holding the guns are framed just so — statuesque and iconic, yes, but also pre-determined, trained to belie any spontaneity. The sound design helps to make these exchanges feel otherworldly, from Chi Wing Chung’s jaunty synthesiser soundtrack to the way gun chambers blast across speakers and chunky, late 90s automobiles speed past sounding like spaceships. It’s a blend of sensibilities that feels completely original, and deserves to be witnessed. Thankfully, The Mission is online, squeezed and encoded into 720p while we wait for a loving Blu-Ray release. If it helps you feel better pressing play, To mentioned to the New York Times in 2007 that he was “happy to be pirated” across mainland China. I like to think he’d appreciate someone else engaging themselves with one of his triumphs, even if it’s pirated.
ELSEWHERE ON YOUTUBE:
The immortal video of a panda cup irritating a Chengdu worker at a research facility. I watch this at least once a month.
Hannibal Burress - Miami Nights
One of my favourite comedians, back with a new special! Finally! This one, directed by Andrew Nisinson, is fascinating in the way it’s framed, veering away from the audience at all points and dipping into more imageplay than I was prepared for: doubled screens, video effects, archival footage. I never think this about comedy specials, but Miami Nights looks glorious.
PRIDE FC: Don Frye vs Yoshihiro Takayama (2002)
I’ve always known about this MMA bout, legendary and paid tribute by combat sports aficionados for the longest. But watching it is legit one of the wildest things I’ve ever seen. If you’re going to go YOOOOOOOOO while huge people deck each other in the face with wild punches, this is the video for you. If you’re not going to do that, there’s no point in clicking on this. Takayamania will never die.