Preamble:
In the New Year's Eve of 2023, the Hong Kong film market ushered in a small peak.
From "Breaking Point", "Raging Tide" to "Sneaking", a number of high-quality Hong Kong films have been released one after another, and have received unanimous praise from the audience, which seems to indicate that the dawn of the revival of Hong Kong films is coming.
However, among these masterpieces, the most eye-catching is the police action film "Sneaking" co-starring "Heavenly King" Andy Lau and "Old Drama Bone" Lin Jiadong.
This movie is good at everything, with ups and downs in the plot, explosive acting, and beautiful and smooth graphics, which can be called one of the best Chinese action movies in recent years.
So how did Andy Lau and Lin Jiadong shine in the film, and what kind of charm does their superb acting skills make this movie glow?
At the end of 2023, the Hong Kong film market will have a small peak
On the Internet, whether it is on Douban or Time.com, the score of "Sneaking" is stable at more than 8 points, which can be said to be a good reputation.
On forums and social software, the number of readings and discussions on movie-related topics is very impressive.
Countless viewers are praising this as a good film.
With the increasing commercialization of the mainland film market, the situation of Hong Kong films is also deteriorating, and it is difficult to see that kind of high-quality masterpieces.
Therefore, the wonderful performance of "Sneaking" undoubtedly brought a warm current to the film market this winter.
In fact, before its release, the action film "Breaking Point", which debuted at the end of November, attracted the attention of many audiences with its tight rhythm and tough picture style; followed by the literary film "Angry Tide", which is a Hong Kong film with a thick air and beautiful scenes.
It can be said that the success of "Stealth" is not limited to itself, but a sign of the rejuvenation of the entire 2023 winter Hong Kong film market.
The local style that has not been seen for a long time is shown in these films, which makes people feel a lot of emotion.
The villain of the king of heaven boasted out of the circle, and Andy Lau sparked a topic
Among the many word-of-mouths and discussions, the most eye-catching is the praise of the villain Lin Zhen'an played by the actor Andy Lau.
"None of the acting skills disappointed" and "Andy is the eternal god of war"...... It is not uncommon to see such high praise.
Andy Lau's portrayal of Lin Zhenan in the movie is a typical image of a villain in Hong Kong films - on the surface, he is noble and decent, but in fact he is a ruthless drug lord.
Not only did he sell a lot of drugs for profit, but he even developed a new model of drug trafficking through live streaming on the dark web.
is different from the positive characters created by Andy Lau in the past, Lin Zhenan can almost be said to be a complete subversion of the actor's screen image.
But it was in such a challenging role that Andy Lau gave full play to his acting skills.
Whether it is appearing in front of his family with a smile on his face, or suddenly becoming cruel and cold in the face of betrayal and threats, every expression and look in his eyes is just right to portray the complex heart of this character.
It's fair to say that few actors are able to control the transformation of their roles with such precision.
It is worth mentioning that the setting of the character of Lin Zhenan pays tribute to the characteristics of the classic Hong Kong film "Crazy Boy" series and "Infernal Affairs".
Elements such as the reversal of police and bandits, and the undercover transformation undoubtedly greatly enhance the ups and downs of the plot.
In the climactic scene of the confrontation between Lin Zhenan and the undercover police in the film, the lines of "It's time" and accurate expression management successfully created the most classic picture in the film.
The video then went viral on the Internet and became a highlight of the film, which also brought more people's attention to this masterpiece.
It can be said that without Andy Lau's superb interpretation of this complex role, there would not be such a brilliant performance that highly restores the classic scenes.
The plump and three-dimensional image of the villain adds a lot of highlights to the whole movie.
The old drama bones turned the tide, and Lin Jiadong tried his best to support it
In addition to Andy Lau's excitement, the undercover policeman Xiu Hao played by the male No. 2 Lin Jiadong also made the audience tremble.
The back-and-forth and-for-tat rivalry between the two characters can be called the climax of the whole movie.
is different from the villain image created by Andy Lau, Xiu Hao played by Lin Jiadong is a character with an undercurrent in the bright side.
He is ostensibly a police officer, but has been lurking in the gang for years; He is loyal and upright in nature, but he has to be in the company of evildoers.
In such a complex identity and environment, Lin Jiadong successfully portrayed an undercover agent with an ambiguous position and a distorted personality - timid and humble when facing the gang boss, and guilty and self-reproachful when facing police colleagues.
The rich layering and the clever construction of the inner plot make this otherwise heavy and boring character vivid and impressive.
Many viewers bluntly said that Lin Jiadong's acting skills have become refined, calling him a "real old drama bone".
In fact, at the end of the film, Lin Jiadong and Andy Lau as a whole perfectly interpreted the classic "good guys" and "bad guys" final showdown.
The rivalry between the two greatly enriches the rhythm of the film and has become the biggest topic.
It can be said that without Lin Jiadong's outstanding performance, it would be difficult to have such a well-layered and tacit confrontation between police and bandits.
The wonderful performance of the old drama bones with all their strength not only added to "Sneaking", but also allowed the audience to see a further breakthrough in the acting skills of Hong Kong films.
The overall production is excellent, heralding a new chapter in Hong Kong films
In fact, not only the excellent performance of the two leading actors, but also the overall production of "Stealth" can be called excellent, from the screenwriter, director to other main actors.
Many viewers bluntly said that this is not just a police action movie, but a sign, heralding the opening of a new chapter in Hong Kong films.
In addition to the two leading actors, Zhu Liyu, Liu Yase, Peng Yuyan, Jiang Haowen and many other Hong Kong first-line actors have joined in, which also makes the character lines and emotional lines of this movie very full and rich and echo each other.
The characters they create have clear personality traits and three-dimensional inner activities, and the interweaving of different fates also makes the whole story framework solid and powerful.
This kind of rich characterization has been rare in commercial films in recent years.
In addition, from the prop scenes to the music editing, the detail of "Stealth" is excellent.
For example, the restoration of the water prison torture scene and the drug packaging scene is accurate and vivid; The use of the soundtrack can also perfectly highlight the ups and downs of the plot.
The stable script, excellent scene integration, and rich detail processing all make the texture of this film a qualitative leap compared with commercial films in recent years.
Many viewers said that it heralded a new chapter in the Hong Kong film market.
Epilogue:
No matter from which point of view, "Sneaking" can be called one of the best Hong Kong films in recent years.
Whether it is the superb acting skills of the leading actors, or the production level of the script, scenes, music, etc., it is all amazing.
There is such a movie on the screen, which undoubtedly brings a breath of fresh air to the film market.
It indicates that the Hong Kong film industry is about to usher in a new development opportunity, and Hong Kong films will eventually return to their peak.
On the occasion of the 2024 New Year's Day, going to the cinema with friends or family is sure to be a great start to the new year.
Whether it's the plot, the images, or the viewing experience, it's absolutely wonderful and unforgettable.