The Bullet Vanishes (2012)

Wow! Such a good movie.

the audience applauded

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

I just finished watching this and I was quite impressed. Do yourself a favour and ignore the jaded, critical comments in the 1 or 2 other reviews which are completely unfounded.I DO though fully agree with all the other 'GOOD' reviews here and their strong praise for this beautiful looking and engaging film! And, when I say 'Beautiful', I mean frigg'n BEAUTIFUL! The Blu-ray that I saw had a picture quality that was so stunning, it virtually leapt off the screen and was VERY 3 dimensional.And YES it does very much bring to mind Guy Ritchie's recent 'SHERLOCK HOLMES' in the look and with the soundtrack. But, it is NOT as hyper stylized. The Mystery is very involving; the writing, direction, and acting is excellent. YES, the final twist at the end may or may not be completely necessary, but I personally do not think it detracts that much from the story and overall impact of the film.So, if you DO happen to like Asian Action / Crime films that are sharply executed and very entertaining, not to mention beautiful looking, then you will indeed very much enjoy this movie!

The first we see Lau Ching Wan's superintendent Song Donglu, he straps a noose around his neck and kicks off the chair – all for the sake of seeing firsthand the physical signs of someone who commits suicide from hanging. It is a bold introduction no less, especially since it immediately recalls one of Lau's best films – Johnnie To's 'Mad Detective' – in which he played an equally eccentric investigative persona. Aside from the similarities in personality and detail-oriented deductive skills however, the setting is entirely different – but one that this thriller is all the better for.Taking place in the Tiancheng prefecture during China's warlord era (similar to that of producer Derek Yee's earlier 'The Great Magician'), co-writer and director Lo Chi Leung spins an impressive whodunit around the heady elements of industrial unrest and bureaucratic corruption. Any direct exploration of the social subtext might trigger attention from the Chinese censors, so Chi-Leung and his other screenwriter Yeung Sin- Ling focus their attention on the mystery at hand, allowing what references that may be drawn to the industrial unrest plaguing the country today to emerge subtly.The title refers to a string of puzzling murders at a bullet factory where the bullets seem to have disappeared after the acts. While many of the workers immediately attribute the deaths to the vengeful spirit of a female employee who had been accused of stealing and thereafter forced into a game of Russian roulette with the boss (Liu Kai-Chi), Song is not so sure – and together with another young detective Guo Zhui (Nicholas Tse) dubbed the fastest sharpshooter in the precinct, attempt to unravel the mystery before it claims its next victim.Those who think that the answer might be rather straightforward will be sorely mistaken, for Lo demonstrates ambition by assembling a host of supporting characters who may or may not be connected to the murders. With the deftness of Agatha Christie or even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Lo takes turns casting doubts on each of these characters and their possible motivations, leaving his audience guessing till the final reveal. That means too that it does take a while before the mastermind finally comes to light, but what overplotting Lo and Yeung might be guilty of along the way is ultimately overcome by Lo's tight control over the unfolding narrative.Not content to be just another Christie suspense novel, the movie also delves into the psychology of criminal behaviour through the mind of Song, who believes that there is no such thing as a bad person. Illustrating this point is a completely unrelated subplot that shows the demure Fu Yuan (Jiang Yiyan) plotting "the perfect crime" of her husband's (Chin Kar Lok) murder – depicted in a humorous Chaplin-esque way – the former of whom in prison becomes somewhat like a muse to Song to better understand the criminal mind. Song's belief that there are just "good people turned bad" is increasingly challenged as he comes up along greed and corruption, and kudos to Lo for adding an additional layer of intellect into the twisty proceedings.Besides the mystery at the heart of the tale, the movie also rests on the chemistry between Song and Guo, their pairing of which has been compared to that of Sherlock Holmes and Watson. Nonetheless, this isn't the Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law equivalent that you might be expecting, but a more traditional one in the spirit of the books – so really while Song is largely the brains of investigation, Guo assumes the role of the brawn. This might be the first time that Lau and Tse are cast opposite each other, but the two heavyweight actors complement each other with finely nuanced performances that do not draw too much attention to their respective character's idiosyncrasies.Both also look like they fit right into the opulent period setting, brought vividly to life by gorgeous costumes and elaborate sets that project both the stylish and the seedy side of 1930s Shanghai. They are also joined by stellar supporting performances – both Liu and Wu Gang as the factory boss and shady police chief respectively delightfully smarmy in their villainous roles; as well as Yang Mi looking suitably sexy as a fortuneteller and Guo's love interest. Of course it is ultimately Lau and Tse who own the movie, and both are consistently engaging from start to finish.So too is the entire film, even though it might not unfold at a breakneck pace like Guy Ritchie's 'Sherlock Holmes'. Rather, Lo prefers a low-key expositional approach that is more in line with the deductive methodologies of the investigation and simultaneously affords space for his audience to get to know the characters – though rest assured that he still packs enough shootouts to keep the adrenaline going. Like a good ol fashioned detective story, this one packs wit, suspense and then some impressive visual pizazz – we guarantee you'll be as intrigued as we were.

THE production design of The Bullet Vanishes is gorgeous, the actors are commendable, with a little bit of eye candy thrown in, but, unfortunately, the storyline is tedious and has been rehashed a million times.Detective stories are nothing new and viewers would have seen two Sherlock Holmes movies and thousands of episodes of CSI over the past few years. Even the Russian roulette idea comes from The Deer Hunter.Also, the pairing of an elderly, more experienced detective with a young handsome hotshot is blasé.The movie's social critique, about the working class being under the thumb of a tyrannical rich guy, while praiseworthy, is also nothing new.Two detectives, Song (Lau Ching Wan) and Guo (Nicholas Tse), probe a series of mysterious shooting deaths in a bullet factory in Shanghai in the 1930s. The workers blame this on the ghost of a young female worker wrongly accused of stealing and then killed while being forced to play Russian roulette.The explanation is too complicated too reveal, but viewers get to visit a morgue headed by a pretty doctor and listen to vague theories on bone and ice bullets.What about the eye candy, you ask. That comes in the form of China's Yang Mi, 25, who plays Guo's informant girlfriend called Little Lark. Viewers, be prepared for her languorous figure and stunning beauty.As I said earlier, the sets and lighting are excellent, and credit goes to production designer Silver Cheung. The Silent War, starring Tony Leung and set in post-war China, also boasts terrific production sets and lighting.As the movie winds down, viewers get to view a Russian roulette face off between the two detectives. I don't know the reason for director Lo Chi-leung using this method for both of them to extract the truth from each other, but it's uncalled for and contrived.Finally, the flick is about good people doing bad things. Does this include the filmmaker and producers of The Bullet Vanishes?www.jeffleemovies.com

"The Bullet Vanishes" is flawed, a mixed bag, but is filled with plenty of tense and suspenseful moments that makes the film worth taking a look at.Director Lo Chi Leung ("Inner Senses" and "Koma") certainly have a hand in creating tense and suspenseful moments, which is vital in low budget thrillers. However, "The Bullet Vanishes" is budgeted at US$12 million, one must wonder, why producer Derek Yee is not directing instead. Lo lacks experience in directing anything outside the genre of thrillers and in most cases those films are carried by the ever wonderful Karena Lam ("Kidnap", "Koma" and "Inner Senses") or the late Leslie Cheung ("Double Tap" and "Inner Senses"). That's not to say that this film is without great actors, as the likes of newly crowned best actor Nicholas Tse, the ever versatile Lau Ching Wan, the always brilliant Liu Kai-Chi and rising Mainland actress Mini Yang, more than fill the acting dues. So what exactly went wrong? That is a question that kept me puzzled right from the moment the film finished. The film looks wonderful, credibly produced, expensive sets and contains some brilliant turns from Lau Ching Wan and Liu Kai-Chi, but somehow it feels like a mixed bag. It doesn't help when the film ends with one twist too many. Perhaps upon viewing the film, one just cannot stop themselves referencing to "Sherlock Holmes" In essence, it is still a relatively entertaining, suspenseful and gritty detective thriller, that just didn't quite cut it on an emotional and deeper level.As usual, Lau Ching Wan is in his "Mad Detective" mode. Lau manages to carry the film once again and alongside the scene stealing villainous turn from Liu Kai-Chi ("The Viral Factor") are the highlights of the film. In those confrontation scenes, the interaction between Lau and Liu are simply priceless and oozes with screen presences. While reigning best actor Nicholas Tse ("Beast Stalker" and "The Stool Pigeon") is dependable without being stunning and lacks chemistry with Mini Yang ("Painted Skin: Resurrection"). At times, it seems as though Tse is going on auto-pilot and a far cry from his performance in "The Stool Pigeon". Yang is pretty much underused and under-explored and in many ways the film seems to be using her current hot streak in Mainland to sell more tickets. One must question what role she really plays in the film, other than exposing some skin and getting hot with her co-star Tse. Yumiko Cheng ("Heat Team") is Yumiko Cheng and despite having more screen time than Yang, she adds nothing to her role.All in all, "The Bullet Vanishes" is at times suspenseful, gritty and even thrilling, but the film feels stretched and is filled with unnecessary scenes and characters that adds nothing to the overall storyline. While, Lo is probably trying to saying something noble or about the human condition, he is clearly constrained by filming for the Mainland market. Still, this is far from being a bad film, as there is really a lot to like about. In particular, it is always a joy to watch Lau Ching Wan going the distance and Liu Kai-Chi always surprises the audience with his performances. The film most certainly could've been done with tighter editing, but for what it is worth, "The Bullet Vanishes" remains a highly watchable detective thriller. Certainly worth a look, despite its flaws…(Neo 2012) I rate it 7.5/10 -thehkneo.com/blog