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Jul
15
2008

FANTASIA: SPARROW Review

Posted by Todd Brown at 10:14am.

Posted in Film & DVD Reviews , Drama, Asia, Fantasia 2008, NYAFF08.

Sparrow.jpg

Call Johnnie To’s Sparrow proof positive that the acclaimed director can do pretty much whatever he sets his mind to.  Yes, he frequently strays from the gangster and action pictures that have made his reputation internationally and has a number of romances and comedies to his credit.  But in the past when To has strayed from the gritty high octane pictures he is best known for he has generally stayed within the bounds of other genres popular within Hong Kong cinema.  But Sparrow, this is something else entirely.  A film made by a man who clearly loves film, Sparrow is a film that belongs to another time and another place, a film that owes debts to European art film of the sixties and the mainstream musicals of Golden Age Hollywood.  This is a film that’s all elegance and grace, a classy pickpocket caper that puts Simon Yam in a role that could easily have been filled by an Astaire or Kelly.

Simon Yam stars as the dapper head of a four man team of pickpockets, masters of their art who ply their trade in the busy streets of Hong Kong.  Theirs is a crime that relies on skill and precision, a craft that must be learned and honed through hours of hard practice, and while they are certainly criminals they are classy criminals and none classier than Yam himself.  Despite making his living through crime Yam appears as though he could easily slide into upper class life with his pleasant demeanor, slick dress and love of photography.  The group have a regular routine laid out, they make a good living and follow a set routine until the day that a mysterious woman crosses their path – a woman who plays each of the team members beautifully, eventually manipulating the group into helping her out of a difficult situation with a local crime boss.

Beautifully shot and remarkably light on dialogue, Sparrow is a film that relies heavily on rhythm and flow.  It never wastes words telling you things it could show you instead and it proves that To is an absolute master of visual language.  With the visuals married to a stellar soundtrack – a CD release, please? – the film moves with a grace that wouldn’t seem out of place in a musical and while it never crosses that particular line the word is that To actually did hire a dance choreographer to plan the rhythms and movements in the complex pickpocket sequences.

Crafted over the span of three years Sparrow has literally been in progress in some form or another in parallel with most of the films in To’s recent hot streak.  I’ve said in these pages before that I consider the highly stylish Exiled to be, in some sense, a response to the ultra-hard Election films, a chance to blow off steam after putting together such an incredible intense pair of pictures.  Well, if that is the case, then you must consider Sparrow the project that kept To and company balanced throughout the process of making those other films.  It is a film as light and effortless as Exiled is kinetic, a film that balances Mad Detective’s delusions with a sort of grace.  Fans who only want to see To shoot the hell out of stuff – which he does as well or better than anyone else on the planet – may well be disappointed with Sparrow but for those willing to go where To wants to take them this is proof that he is a hugely talented director with simply enormous range. 

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Reader Comments

  1. Milkyway 06/20/2008 @ 6:09am

    Diggit! Must watch this.

  2. Itto Ogami loses Daigoro 06/20/2008 @ 4:20pm

    Triad Movie Johnny To=Good to great

    “Any Other Movie” Johnny To=Can live without them

    But Sparrow is one I’ll watch, it sounds somewhat interesting.

  3. cpa314 06/21/2008 @ 10:56am

    Sounds like you really liked it Todd! I will definitely have to buy the DVD when it comes out. I am a huge fan of To’s films(especially his triad/gangster films). Though this one doesn’t sound like your standard HK gangster film, it still has to do with criminals. I can do without the guns since To is directing. This one sounds like a Must See!

  4. The Visitor 06/21/2008 @ 12:10pm

    it’s really unfortunate that most of the western world only know Johnnie To thru his gangster films. it’s not true that his non-triad films are not good, or that he’s only good with guns. he’s done some really outstanding ones, or at least very enjoyable. Throw Down is a truly exceptional cinematic experience, Running On Karma is very strangely enjoyable and even moving, Running Out Of Time is pretty good too, and of course, the now-classic comedy and Stephen Chow starrer, Justice My Foot. he’s simply one of the most versatile directors around, and one who’s peaking at this point in his career. can’t wait for his Melville remake.

  5. Rhythm-X 06/21/2008 @ 3:32pm

    I don’t see how anyone who actually loves movies could possibly not want to see this after seeing its trailer.

  6. Milkyway 06/21/2008 @ 4:50pm

    “Any Other Movie” Johnny To=Can live without them

    The Visitor beat me to it (stand-up)! All the alignments concerning the storytelling going on in To’s movies lies in his direction; his execution rather than the material he’s working on. It’s very fortunate that someone like him could take an already tiring HK sub genre (crime) and spin it into something far more greater and original/refreshing. that shows how multi-sided and huge he can develop and play with filmmaking like it’s just an experimental. But as years went on, he realized crime was going to age eventually so he had to stick to new formalities yet maintain his style to accomplish greater originality with that style, only in other kinds of genres. Just look at the movies he’s done since Milkyway was rising… To is marching his way for his own needs and not to other people’s favors (at least not too often), and that’s what gives him the well deserved strengths and respect as a filmmaker.

    To be honest, I was particularly interested in him because he was making the same movies as John Woo once did at first but after I had seen one of movies (which happened to be The Mission), I noticed there was alot more than just the action and the genre itself. It was filmmaking highlighted the great effect and what’s more… it pays alot respect to filmmaking of the past where all the greats made history with cinema. I got hooked and have totally changed my view on HK cinema (or global cinema in general) and been in awe ever since.

    To sum it to the stereotypical ones: Johnnie To’s a multi-sided filmmaker, not some restricted one like John Woo (who’s overrated and vastly tiring).

  7. ChevalierAguila 06/21/2008 @ 9:20pm

    Sounds that this one is a bit on the spirit of Throw Down, still for me the best movie Mr To has made. And Simon Yam in a lead role? Hell yeah.

  8. Todd Brown 06/22/2008 @ 11:05am

    You know, I hated Throw Down on first vieiwng but To has said publicly that he considers it his best film and reading the love for it here I think I’m going to have to give it another shot ...

  9. via collins 06/22/2008 @ 9:21pm

    That’s a fine description Todd.

    I caught it at Berlin in February, and was overwhelmed by the sheer visual, and musical richness of what was going on. Must see again at earliest opportunity, but my gut feel was that the film ultimately didn’t work as it hopped blithely around genres.

    It’s hard to imagine how a man’s mind can spread over 3 or 4 film projects simultaneously, but there’s the proof. Loved your reference to Simon Yam taking the Astaire or Kelly role - which he does. One of the world’s best leading men, and has been for years..

  10. markc 06/23/2008 @ 9:55pm

    anybody whose seen the film, is the music played in this old teaser which I’ve provided a link to belwo, played at all in the film? please tell me it is!!!
    http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZBTeqe4YbSs

  11. davemet 06/26/2008 @ 7:56pm

    Very clever movie!  Anybody has more info on a DVD release date?  Couldn’t find anything on the HK sites.

    The soundtrack is fantastic and will be released on July 22, 2008 by Fusion 3:

    http://www.fusion3.com/works/K1639/

    Track samples are also available on MySpace:

    http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=375303910

  12. markc 06/26/2008 @ 10:49pm

    since the film has only been out one week, there’s nothing yet. Universe will be releasing the DVD though, I’d be checking Yesasia.com within the next 2-3 weeks, and chances are you’ll find the HK dvd up for preorder. I would assume it will be out either late July or early August at the latest

  13. davemet 06/27/2008 @ 6:31am

    Thanks Mark!  By doing a bit more search last night I realized the movie was just out in HK theaters and was at the top of the box office over there.

  14. Milkyway 06/27/2008 @ 9:49am

    The soundtrack is fantastic and will be released on July 22, 2008 by Fusion 3:

    http://www.fusion3.com/works/K1639/

    can you provide another link if that’s possible? seems that link can’t show information unless you’re logged in.

  15. Milkyway 06/27/2008 @ 4:19pm

    never mind, found some online sites that sells it:

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sparrow-Xavier-Jamaux/dp/B0018C1DR8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1214608386&sr=8-3

    http://www.hmv.com.hk/product/canto.asp?sku=159311

  16. via collins 06/27/2008 @ 4:30pm

    Watched again last night.

    Enjoyed it a lot more second time, but it still doesn’t work as a whole. The concept is whacky, but the execution is just sublime most of the time. I am so glad I saw it, and will revisit it time and time again when I need a loving Hong Kong portrait....and buy the closing scene is a humdinger.

  17. markc 07/11/2008 @ 12:21pm

    now up for preorder on Yesasia.com!!!
    http://www.yesasia.com/us/sparrow-dvd-hong-kong-version/1011078447-0-0-0-en/info.html

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