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This year s largest grossing Hong Kong film the smash-hit Mad Detective is one of the freshest and most satisfying visits to the cinema in a decade. The traditional Hong Kong police film is turned on its head: the imaginative twist being our hero Detective Bun (a role created for Lau Ching Wan) who has the ability to see people s inner personalities or hidden ghosts . Breaking new ground and establishing new cinematic rules, Johnnie To s latest giddily entertaining collaboration with Wai Ka Fai radically raises the level of storytelling in modern film. This ingenious realisation of a supernaturally gifted copper is fast-paced and furious, yet also complex and disturbingly funny. Nominated for the Golden Lion at Venice, multiple prizewinner at the Asian Film Awards 2008, and winner of Best Screenplay at the 27th Hong Kong Film Awards 2008, Mad Detective has been simultaneously thrilling multiplexes and cerebrally challenging arthouses across the world. Detective Bun (Lau Ching Wan) was recognised as a talented criminal profiler until he sliced off his right ear to offer as a gift at his chief s farewell party. Branded as mad and discharged from the force, he has lived in seclusion with his beloved wife May (Kelly Lin) ever since. Strangely, Bun has the ability to see a person s inner personality, their subconscious desires, emotions, and mental state. When a missing police gun is linked to several heists and murders, hotshot Inspector Ho (Andy On) calls on the valuable skills of his former mentor Bun to help unlock the killer s identity. However, Bun s unorthodox methods point to a fellow detective and take a schizophrenic turn for the worse... ---Special Features---Carefully created new English subtitles -- Q&A with Johnnie To at the Cinémathèque Française -- Johnnie To retrospective (Paris, France, March 2008) - 35 minutes -- Exclusive cast interviews shot during the Far East Film Festival featuring Lau Ching Wan, and Lam Suet (Udine, Italy, April 2008) - 14 minutes -- Interview with Johnnie To for the French theatrical release of Mad Detective (France, 4th March 2008) - 21 minutes -- Original UK theatrical trailer -- 16-page booklet containing specially commissioned essay by David Bordwell (Jacques Ledoux Professor of Film Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison) -- The following materials will be released for viewing at www.maddetective.com on the day of the Blu-ray's release: Panel discussion at the Far East Film Festival during the Milkyway Image, Beyond Imagination seminar with Johnnie To, Wai Ka Fai, Lam Suet, Kelly Lin, and Lau Ching Wan (Udine, Italy, April 2008) - 13 minutes -- Following the cast and crew on their tour of the Far East Film Festival (Udine, Italy, April 2008) - 14 minutes -- Footage from the Mad Detective French premiere and Johnnie To Retrospective presentation at the Cinémathèque Française (Paris, France, March 2008) - 6 minutes
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Vine™ Review
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I love most Chinese HK film having brought up with them. This one in particular I would highly recommend. It's typicall HK style - fast motion, lots of emotional highs and lows, self-pity, utter madness and senseless beating up scenes.
The story line is very simple. A detective (now retired) has a mental illness problem coincide with a talent to "see" things hence solve mysteries. He was seek by a rookie to help solve a case involving the disappearance of a fellow police officer. The journey and mayhem both questioning the moral judgement of each individual throughout the entire film is portrayed.It is slightly different from the average and Bun's character played by Lau Chin-Wan is very convincing.
Good entertainment, not-overtly funny but funny enough with fast action flick typically delivered by HK directors. Enjoyable.. although I couldn't bear to see the Van Gogh scene ie when he cuts his ear. Euww..
The story line is very simple. A detective (now retired) has a mental illness problem coincide with a talent to "see" things hence solve mysteries. He was seek by a rookie to help solve a case involving the disappearance of a fellow police officer. The journey and mayhem both questioning the moral judgement of each individual throughout the entire film is portrayed.It is slightly different from the average and Bun's character played by Lau Chin-Wan is very convincing.
Good entertainment, not-overtly funny but funny enough with fast action flick typically delivered by HK directors. Enjoyable.. although I couldn't bear to see the Van Gogh scene ie when he cuts his ear. Euww..
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Vine™ Review
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You would think a film about a detective who can see peoples inner personalities or alter ego's would be a fascinating and compelling experience. And Mad Detective does indeed prove to be so. But it is made so more by the skill of the true cinematic arts of cinematography and use of sound rather than through the machinations of the plot or any of the performances.
Inspector Chan Kwai-Bun ( Lau Ching-Wan) is forced to retire when he presents his own severed ear as a retirement present ( Allusions to Vincent Van Gogh here as well with the tortured genius thing) Bun believes fervently in understanding a case through empirical means even if this means being buried alive or pushed down the stairs in a suitcase.
He is called back into action when Inspector Ho Ka-On ( Andy On) is investigating the disappearance of a colleague whose gun has since been used in a series of armed ( obviously) robberies. It turns out the suspect is a collective of seven spirits( alluding to the seven deadly sins this time) which means Bun has plenty to chew on.
Mad Detective takes these elements and contrives to make a film that for all it's intense performances ( Bun looks like he is suffering from perpetual constipation) and kinetic action somehow drags along ponderously . The real joy of watching this film is to be found in the composition of some of the shots- an audacious high overhead shot of a man running down a street bathed in yellow lights or the way the camera prowls through a moonlight lit wood . This and the use of sound on the 5:1 ( the menu gives the option of this or the standard 2.0 ) option is terrific adding real punch to some of the set pieces .
With plenty of extras and a comprehensive but fawning booklet this Masters of cinema DVD offers a thorough examination of this multi award winning( In Hong Kong and Asia anyway) film. Hardcore fans of Hong Kong cinema will love it. Others like me will find it a bit of a slog while simultaneously admiring much of what is on show. Not enough to watch it again in a hurry though.
Inspector Chan Kwai-Bun ( Lau Ching-Wan) is forced to retire when he presents his own severed ear as a retirement present ( Allusions to Vincent Van Gogh here as well with the tortured genius thing) Bun believes fervently in understanding a case through empirical means even if this means being buried alive or pushed down the stairs in a suitcase.
He is called back into action when Inspector Ho Ka-On ( Andy On) is investigating the disappearance of a colleague whose gun has since been used in a series of armed ( obviously) robberies. It turns out the suspect is a collective of seven spirits( alluding to the seven deadly sins this time) which means Bun has plenty to chew on.
Mad Detective takes these elements and contrives to make a film that for all it's intense performances ( Bun looks like he is suffering from perpetual constipation) and kinetic action somehow drags along ponderously . The real joy of watching this film is to be found in the composition of some of the shots- an audacious high overhead shot of a man running down a street bathed in yellow lights or the way the camera prowls through a moonlight lit wood . This and the use of sound on the 5:1 ( the menu gives the option of this or the standard 2.0 ) option is terrific adding real punch to some of the set pieces .
With plenty of extras and a comprehensive but fawning booklet this Masters of cinema DVD offers a thorough examination of this multi award winning( In Hong Kong and Asia anyway) film. Hardcore fans of Hong Kong cinema will love it. Others like me will find it a bit of a slog while simultaneously admiring much of what is on show. Not enough to watch it again in a hurry though.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Vine™ Review
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Looking for an all action kung fu or violent crime thriller or a scare you out of your pants psycho thriller in normal Asian mode? Then I fear this movie will not deliver it. However what it does deliver is such an offbeat story in Asian movie making that to see it was Hong Kong's largest grossing film in 2008 makes one wonder if Asian audiences are themselves looking for new approaches and themes.
There is violence but it is underplayed and acts as an undercurrent to the main story exemplified in the scene where the lead character cuts off his ear Van Gogh style to give to his boss at a farewell celebration! The real surprise and discovery which makes this movie such a find is a very spiritual story line where the interaction of a detective who by reliving crimes (in the truest sense without giving the plot away) is able to inhabit what happened and the souls of the participants alongside a purposely disorientating sub plot of his lost wife who he still treats as being alive though not present.
The film's continual flowing in and out of what is happening in reality versus the mind actually had my whole family (wife and young children) openly debating with me about what was going on in a way that showed me what a thought provoking movie it is. While derivative in a few parts notably the final denouement shoot out with its use of mirrors looking a lot like Orson Welles Lady from Shanghai, this is simply so unique a movie that I hope it will enjoy great success in the USA and Europe and be followed by other thought provoking and enjoyable follow ups.
Finally the quality of the main feature transfer (an area that many Asian movies fail on due to quality of the master tape used in visual and audio) and the DVD extras are some of the best seen and make for an overall high standard package. It looks like Eureka are aiming to set the standard for high quality Asian movies being released in the UK which will make them a label to watch!
There is violence but it is underplayed and acts as an undercurrent to the main story exemplified in the scene where the lead character cuts off his ear Van Gogh style to give to his boss at a farewell celebration! The real surprise and discovery which makes this movie such a find is a very spiritual story line where the interaction of a detective who by reliving crimes (in the truest sense without giving the plot away) is able to inhabit what happened and the souls of the participants alongside a purposely disorientating sub plot of his lost wife who he still treats as being alive though not present.
The film's continual flowing in and out of what is happening in reality versus the mind actually had my whole family (wife and young children) openly debating with me about what was going on in a way that showed me what a thought provoking movie it is. While derivative in a few parts notably the final denouement shoot out with its use of mirrors looking a lot like Orson Welles Lady from Shanghai, this is simply so unique a movie that I hope it will enjoy great success in the USA and Europe and be followed by other thought provoking and enjoyable follow ups.
Finally the quality of the main feature transfer (an area that many Asian movies fail on due to quality of the master tape used in visual and audio) and the DVD extras are some of the best seen and make for an overall high standard package. It looks like Eureka are aiming to set the standard for high quality Asian movies being released in the UK which will make them a label to watch!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Fun film, great gimick
With all the hype surrounding this film I figured I'd better watch it before the inevitable Hollywood remake comes along. Read more
Published 19 months ago by C. Verspeak
A perfect package
Johnnie To's truly mad "Mad Detective" is not a film for everyone: it's beautifully shot, but some viewers would rather focus on the "ugliness" of its subject matter than the... Read more
Published on 17 Sep 2009 by B. Paszylk
Refreshingly insane!
There really aren't many films like this!
A Hong Kong cop is helped to solve murders through communicating with the dead! Read more
A Hong Kong cop is helped to solve murders through communicating with the dead! Read more
Published on 25 Jun 2009 by Ben
The nuts.
Johnnie To's films are an aquired taste. He's a director who's always more than happy to subvert audience expectations and head into new and original directions, with mixed... Read more
Published on 16 April 2009 by Mr. Paul S. Bird
Recommended
I've not really seen that much Asian cinema so wasn't sure what to expect from this film. Obviously popular, as it was the year's biggest grosser in HK, I was impressed... Read more
Published on 19 Mar 2009 by Ichabod J
Hugely enjoyable
This film by Jonnie To tells the story of a detective who has this ability to see other people personalities. Read more
Published on 22 Jan 2009 by Mr. F. E. Marioni
decent new take on detective
This is a decent movie for one reason - the lead role of Detective Bun is brilliantly played by Lau Ching Wan. Read more
Published on 15 Jan 2009 by Mr. Terence Jones
As Barking as a Box of Bun-Eating Badgers
Yep, this Detective Bun bloke looks and acts like he's bonkers, and I guess if I could pick up people's innermost desires and thoughts I'd be as batty as him. Read more
Published on 20 Dec 2008 by Paul Pinn
Stunningly innovative cinema
I've seen very little Hong Kong cinema before, only really Wong Kar Wai films, but each of them has a special atmosphere and on-screen look that I am becoming more and more... Read more
Published on 26 Nov 2008 by Ian Shine
A smart thriller that keeps you on your toes
The smash hit Hong Kong thriller Mad Detective is a strange, unusual, surreal but intriguing film that turns the traditional police story about corruption on its head. Read more
Published on 24 Nov 2008 by D. Wilson
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