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| P.T.U. Starring - Simon Yam - Lam Suet - Ruby Wong - Maggie Shiu. Director - Johnnie To. 2003. “P.T.U.” in Hong Kong stands for Police Tactical Unit. So, these people are with the police, they know some tactics, and they form a unit. Actually they’re more or less like the regular cops, except they are a little better, I don’t know. What I DO know is that I have been living in Hong Kong all my life, and I can tell you, not for once have I come across a P.T.U. officer that looks as groovy as Simon Yam and his buddies do in Johnnie To’s “P.T.U.” I mean, it’s worth the admission price just watching these people walking from one spot to another. And hey, I’m not gay. Hard-ass cop Fay Sa (Lam Suet) is in big trouble – he’s slipped on a banana peel in front of a bunch of hoods, and when he comes to, his gun is missing. You see, in Hong Kong only the police are allowed to carry guns, and it’s a big deal when an officer loses his. So, to save his own badge, Fay Sa seeks help from a bunch of P.T.U. guys led by his buddy Jin (Simon Yam), who agrees to give themselves one night to track down the missing weapon. “P.T.U.” is one of those films where the whole story takes place in one night, which is why you won’t see daylight in this movie. Everything is shot in the night streets of Hong Kong, with characters illuminated only by high-contrast spotlights. I must say I love this lighting technique that turns the real locations into some sort of a stage, where characters walk into the spotlight to be seen, then retreat from it to disappear into the darkness. The best sequences of this movie see only the P.T.U. dudes lurking behind shadows, searching for clues and meeting people of Hong Kong’s underworld. It’s been a long time since I was entertained by just a bunch of guys walking. Now if the idea that this is a movie about people walking freaks you out, don’t panic, since “P.T.U.” has the smartest and funniest plot I’ve seen this year so far. Think the coolness of “The Mission” meets the dark humor of “Too Many Ways to be Number One” then you have an idea of what to expect. If you are complaining about the lack of action, fuck off. Ultimately, Jin and his buddies will tangle with a bitchy detective who smells something wrong, the big bosses of two rival gangs, a bunch of naked guys in cages, a man who keeps occupying a phone booth, plus a hell lot of other weird stuff. Yeah, I know that weirdness is no longer a novelty these days, but “P.T.U.” works because of the minimalist approach Johnnie To seems to have mastered nowadays, most notable in his celebrated mini-masterpiece “The Mission.” Cutting down the dialogues, To tells his story with what happens on the screen, and often pushes the tension up using the silence and inaction of the cast. If you appreciate the scene where the five guys in “The Mission” kick a scrap of paper on the floor, you’re gonna love “P.T.U.” The acting is generally competent, though the focus is put mainly on the two male leads. I don’t think Simon Yam has ever looked so cool in a movie, and Lam Suet, who started out as a general manager in Johnnie To’s movie sets, is now the man’s regular choice and continues to show a talent in playing half-witted characters like Fay Sa. On the other hand, Lo Hoi Pang, who plays one of the two mob bosses, is a casting mistake. If you happen to have lived in Hong Kong in the eighties, you would realize that this guy is a comedian. You turn on the TV in 1985 and you see him churning out jokes on a regular basis. I felt like laughing when I saw him here, but isn’t he supposed to be a little psychotic and thus a little scary? The finale is GENIUS. The first thirty seconds is kind of dumb, but when the wicked stuff starts kicking in, everyone in the audience were laughing, cheering, applauding, kissing, hugging each other. “P.T.U.” may not be the most original film to come out this year, but it’s a witty popcorn flick that is superbly directed and, at times, dead funny. Apart from like five lame dialogues (“The most important thing is being able to come home” at the opening scene and that from-the-heart speech by the rookie), “P.T.U.” is the best Hong Kong movie this year to date. 8********stars. © 2003 Geeky Marcus. NATURAL BORN VIEWERS. |
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