By | Published April 24, 2009

VENGEANCE

There are plenty of buzz-worthy films from quality filmmakers going to Cannes in May including Quentin Tarantino’s INGLORIOUS BASTERDS, Ang Lee’s TAKING WOODSTOCK and Park Chan-wook’s THIRST, just to name a few, but the one that has my full attention is Johnnie To’s VENGEANCE. Based on the trailer above, this looks to be the gunplay actioner of 2009.

VENGEANCE is To’s first international, English-language production. It stars French singer and actor Johnny Hallyday as a French assassin who travels to Hong Kong to avenge a murder. Also starring are top local talents Anthony Wong and To regulars Simon Yam and Lam Suet.

The film appears to be a return to the bold and stylish Hong Kong gangster flicks of the 1980s and ’90s with the same French-leaning inspirations that contributed to John Woo’s gunplay crime classics. Technically, To has never really abandoned this genre since stepping into it in 1988 with THE BIG HEAT, although he has taken many twists and turns since.

What’s unfortunate is that To’s planned remake of Jean-Pierre Melville’s THE RED CIRCLE with the dream team line-up of Liam Neeson, Chow Yun-fat and Alain Delon appears to have been shelved indefinitely as confirmed in an interview with Neeson on AICN. Instead, he’s working on another crime thriller called DEATH OF A HOSTAGE, so far with Lam Ching-wan attached.

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  • Chris

    that the same poster of oldboy

  • http://www.wirthconsulting.org Mo Kraak

    Right on Mark! It doesn’t get much better than Anthony Wong and Simon Yam in a Johnnie To film! Bring it on!

  • http://www.wirthconsulting.org Mo Kraak

    Oh! I can’t help myself! How about that priceless scene in “Breaking News” where Yam relentlessly chases the hijacked ambulance on an MX bike! How about when the buddies (including Yam) suddenly stop and munch on roasted yams in “Exiled?”

  • http://www.wirthconsulting.org Mo Kraak

    BTW, both of those To films I just mentioned are available to “Watch Instantly” on Netflix.

  • Milkyway

    It’s official… Johnnie To never disappoints each time he comes out with a new movie. We need more HK directors like this.

  • DamnIt

    Ditto Chris, with a touch of Year of the Dragon thrown in.

  • douglas ferguson

    oh my DAMN.

  • Captain Boosh

    It’s just not fair. We get to see this knowing it’s still so many months before we’ll actually be able to get a DVD in our hands to watch.

    Oh the pain!

  • GwaiLoMoFo

    Good actors, great action and a solid storyline……. sign me up!

  • Tequila

    I’m excited about a new Johnnie To + Lau Ching-Wan movie. More excited than Johnnie To + Liam Neeson.

  • http://thenakedgift.blogspot.com Croaker

    Johnny Halliday would be perfect in a Johnny To’s action flick. It would even be better if Francis Ng is in it alongside Anthony Wong, Lam Suet and Simon Yam. But, well, one cannot have everything :)

    It’s a damn shame that his Red Circle project is stopped at the moment. But I am still young. I believe I’ll live to see it one of those days. Patience is rewarding, especially when one has no choice!!

  • Anonymous

    [quote]It’s a damn shame that his Red Circle project is stopped at the moment.[/quote]

    It’s still going to be made, Johnnie To is currently doing some major script changes as he was dissatisfied with an earlier version that he thought would also dissatisfy his companions.

  • Zoe

    Yes, it'd be much better if Francis Ng is in it.
    Le sigh.

  • Zoe

    Yes, it'd be much better if Francis Ng is in it.
    Le sigh.

  • http://film-book.com/ Film-Book

    I've seen the film. It's great. A couple of things pop up with Costello's character you do not expect. I posted my review of Johnny To’s Vengeance here:

    http://film-book.com/film-review-vengeance-2009/