So Close (2002)

Two female assassins-for-hire end up on the same side with a female detective tracking them when a crooked business man tries to kill all three in order to cover up his hiring of the assassins to kill a rival.

Meticulously clear and polished cinematography blends with ultra-stylish action choreography as martial arts and action master Cory Yuen directs three of the hottest gals in the Hong Kong film business. Externally, So Close looks like a Charlie’s Angels knock-off, but the plot’s deeper, the characters more complex, and the kung fu and gunplay is even more outrageous.

Shu Qi (A Man Called Hero) stars as Lynn, a woman trained to be an assassin by a man originally sent to kill her family and steal her father’s satellite technology. The film opens stunningly as she infiltrates the office of a corporate CEO, kills him while wounding his bodyguards, and makes a dramatic rooftop escape, all with the aid of some hi-tech gadgetry and Burt Baccarat, who’s tune “Close to You” floods the building’s communications. This “job” is pulled off with the aid of her younger sister Sue (Vicky Zhao), a computer wizard who hacks into the building security and spies on their targets using the satellite their father designed. An eager detective with a knack for close-quarter combat in elevators named Kong Yat-hung (Karen Mok) begins a cat and mouse chase with the two assassins that come to a head as the pair completes a second job. Kong and Lynn duke it out until thugs sent by Lynn’s employer, a businessman desiring to forcibly take over a massive technology firm, attempt to kill them all. Lynn eventually finds herself in a compromising situation while Kong is framed for murder, which forces Kong to join Sue in taking out the the corrupt businessman and his sword-wielding master (Yasuaki Kurata).

So Close is arguably the best martial arts action movie to come out in 2002. It is a testament to the director’s abilities that the closest competitor is The Transporter, also directed by Corey Yuen. Both films share similarities such as Shu Qi in a leading role, slick production values, and a generous and well-rounded mix of action that rivals anything put out in the last ten years. The differences are also pronounced. In So Close, it’s the women who take charge, the fights are longer, and the dramatic elements are directed at Hong Kong audiences. This last feature is what hurts the film for there is too much melodrama, sickly sweet romance, and bubbly and sexual female bonding for a film that kicks this much ass. Karen Mok is the least offending in this regard. Her competitive and no-nonsense persona coupled with having the best action moves of the three actresses makes her a formidable presence onscreen, enough so to make you forget that she’s better known in Hong Kong for her singing. She does contribute to the soundtrack and sounds pretty decent (and I am no Canto-pop fan). For having the leading role with the the dark past and the forlorn love affair, she is paper thin on depth of character and her weak performance only reinforces my belief that she is highly overrated as an actress. That said, she still scores points for eye candy. Vicky Zhao has the most dynamic role as a woman yet to find herself as she develops an attraction for Karen’s character and lives in the shadow of her big sister. But she definitely gets the chance to prove herself, at least on the second point.

Corey goes all out on the action for this film by employing the latest camera and wire tricks, while obviously having the girls do a lot of their own stunts. Any series of quick cuts are in small doses and the method of capturing the action seems quite balanced between wide angle and close-ups with a lot of dynamic angles and perspectives. Corey is known for stepping behind the camera and in this film displays a tremendous ability to capture action in the most dramatic and creative ways. The one distraction is the frequent use of CGI glass shards as characters crash through windows or panels of glass. The film’s one car chase with Vicky’s character driving is made more exciting by a simultaneous threat creeping up on Lynn as she directs Sue away from the pursuing police from her satellite link up. The gun fights are a combination John Woo and The Matrix, but with even more precision and clarity of cause and effect. But the film’s featured attractions are two drawn out martial arts fights. The first takes place between Shu and Karen in a parking garage and the other one is appropriately the final match. None of the villains in the film have much character, but martial arts screen legend Yasuaki Kurata stands out with his natural charisma and real martial arts skill. While seen briefly throughout the film, he steps up in the final scene to take on Vicky and Karen in a satisfying duel of samurai swords that is quite spectacular and brutal. For being well past his physical prime, Kurata becomes a remarkable force of nature reminiscent of the good old days when he starred in classics like Lau Kar-leung’s Heroes of the East (1978). There is a rewind moment near the end where Kurata does a leaping kick that will blow you away.

So Close delivers so much goodness with the action and visual style of the film, that it’s a shame, although not surprising, that it comes up short on plot and character development despite some potentially interesting facets. Aside from Mok and Kurata, the casting is weak and the dialogue is nothing more than filler. Thankfully, there is more than enough dazzling motion and attractive sets and people to keep viewers distracted.