Mad Detective details
| Formats: | 18 DVD, Blu-ray |
|---|---|
| Starring: | Lau Ching-Wan, Andy On, Gordon Lam, Kelly Lin, Ka Tung Lam, Kwok-Lun Lee |
| Directors: | Johnny To, Wai Ka-Fai |
| Genres: | Drama - Crime, Thriller - Action/Adventure, Crime, World Cinema - Chinese |
| Studio: | EUREKA ENTERTAINMENT |
| Collections: | Awesome Asian Films, Hidden Gems, The Detectives |
| Name | Discs | |
|---|---|---|
Mad Detective |
18 Feature |
DVD Information
| Run time: | 1 hour 29 minutes |
|---|---|
| Rental release: | Not available for rental |
| Main languages: | Cantonese |
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Most helpful review
Cinematically great, dramatically a bit turgid.
By Northernsky (318 reviews) from Halifax , 27 Oct 2008[Highly rated reviewer]
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.- Was this review helpful to you?
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All reviews
(17)Crazy Detecrive
By wrightman (93 reviews) from Maidstone , 08 Nov 2011Crazy film.Could not understand what was happenng.Was he seeing people who were ghosts? Was he a ghost? What happened at the end? Who was left standing? What did it all mean? Is Hong Kong really like this?- Was this review helpful to you?
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21st century schizoid men on film
By juradino (811 reviews) from London , 14 Aug 2011Classic madness in this police thriller in which reality is so insane that it becomes almost real. Mad detective even cuts his ear off. It's ostensibly about series of heists following one detective's disappearance in which various amounts of money have been stolen, large and smaller, but with killings and police gun that holds key to everything. Everybody is schizoid apparently and it takes guess who coming on top after everybody's dead. If you liked Identity you might be amused to entertain the idea that cops are really half shrinks and half serial killers, with guns. Seven deadly sins are lethal.- Was this review helpful to you?
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Barking mad...
By Tomosan (41 reviews) from Hindhead , 17 Jul 2011Probably the weirdest opening sequences ever committed to film... Lau Ching Wan plays Detective Bun: a mad, but effective, cop in Hong Kong. He solves cases by sensing peoples inner personalities — although for cinematic convenience this has been more widely interpreted into a sort of 'mind reading' ability.
Clearly a nod in the direction of Schizophrenia, Bun's abilities are set to task in solving the case of a missing cop. A brilliant plot combined with solid acting, and a generous splurge of cinematic prowess, combine to produce an engaging film with a thought provoking story that consistently keeps the viewer guessing.- Was this review helpful to you?
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Mad Detective
By a customer from Norwich UK , 21 Dec 2010Intriguing, confusing, liked it in a strange way, Don't blink or you will be lost I forget how many times had to rewind to try and pick up the threads- Was this review helpful to you?
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Cinematically interesting, but utterly confuzzling!
By Nocmonster (29 reviews) from Barnet , 25 Nov 2010Blimey...and you thought 'Inception' was confusing!
As a huge fan of Asian cinema I've had to begrudingly accept that my poor, sleep-deprived brain will often have to wrap its way around plots that don't make a whole lot of sense. That said, it's good sometimes to bash the conventionality of Hollywood over the head, and a film like 'Mad Detective' does just that.
At times it's a real potboiler of a film, yet at other times it's a surrealistic and rather baffling mix of twisted plot logic, inner personalities that weave in and out of the narrative, and the utterly insane activites of the titular detective, Bun. It would spoil it for you to dig too deeply into the plot, but do be aware that this film isn't for people searching for a quick fix of entertainment before they hit the hay.
There's a kind of playful depth here, and the cinematography and set up of various shots is wonderful, but I can't say I recommend the film as anything more than a strange curio. By the time the credits rolled, I couldn't honestly say I knew very much more than I did when the film started. Make of that what you will.- Was this review helpful to you?
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