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Released By: Shout Factory
Released On: 06/12/2012
Director: Soi Cheang
Cast: Louis Koo, Richie Jen
The Film:
A flat tire in the middle of a Hong Kong street during the early morning rush hour sends an irate motorist on a slightly different path, fraught with a number of obstacles that ultimately result in his death by falling glass from a shattered window. With so many seemingly random variables at play, the fatality can't possibly be anything other than a freak accident; yet it's the careful planning of a team of clever assassins who have orchestrated the entire murder.
Led by the aptly named “Brainâ€, the team consists of a mysterious woman who may be the Brain's girlfriend, an older man who goes by the name “Uncleâ€, and a rather heavyset fellow known as “Fattyâ€. After the completion of the shattered glass assassination, the group is contracted by a man who wants an elderly relative killed in a way that won't cause an investigation from the insurance company; another apparent accident. This is where writers Kam-Yeun Szeto and Lik-Kei Tang start earning their nomination for the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Screenplay, as the group painstakingly works out each detail on how to kill off the old man without arousing any suspicion. Kites, balloons, produce, and even the weather are factored into the equation to produce a bizarre result, but an accident during the assassination that results in the death of one of the team members leads the Brain to believe that another “accidental assassin†may be using his own techniques against him.
Accident is not a perfect film, but it is a very good one. Masterfully directed by Soi Cheang, the film starts off with a lot of energy, but then slows to a crawl until the end of the film; a pace that isn't really noticed because it remains intense and full of twists and turns. You can almost hear Brain's, erm, brain spinning as he attempts to close in on his enemies and eliminate potential threats in the creative ways that have made him one of the top in his field. The actors are really on the ball with this one, walking a fine line between the anonymous killers they are required to be, but bringing out just enough traits to make them memorable. As mentioned, Accident was nominated for Best Screenplay, and the reveals that keep the picture moving along are strong and inspired. It's safe to say that Producer Johnnie To may have had a hand in how well this turned out as well, with the action and intrigue rivalling that of his 2005 masterpiece, Election. At any rate, Accident is definitely a contender for one of the most interesting films I've seen this year, with hardly a fault to be found.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Shout Factory brings Accident to blu-ray with a 1.78:1 transfer that looks pretty fantastic. The picture is pretty sharp for the most part, though there are some intentionally soft sequences, and the colours are solid with good contrast levels. Nothing to be seen as far as artifacting unless you're really looking for it (I spotted one bit of noise in the whole film) and the Cantonese DTS-HD 5.1 audio track is equally as decent with good dynamic range and sensible use of the surrounds.
A commentary would've been nice, but there is a Making Of featurette that runs just over 12 minutes; the cast and crew can be found discussing the plot, their characters, working with Cheang, and Johnnie To's involvement in the production. It's a little short and broken up into 3 parts, but it is AVC encoded (though a little washed out). Forced (though not burned in) English subtitles are included.
A Trailer is also included.
The Final Word:
I think I expected more of a straightforward action/crime film going into Accident, and was pleasantly surprised by a well thought out thriller. Definitely worth seeing.
