Dir. Alexi Tan, Hong Kong, 2007, 95 mins
Cast: Daniel Wu, Ye Liu, Qi Shu, Tony Yang
Review by Richard Hawes
Set in 1930s Shanghai, Blood Brothers is your prototypical period gangster movie, one in which a group of friends are seduced and then corrupted by the glamour of the criminal underworld in the big city. But if we've seen it all before is there any reason to watch it? If you are a fan of the genre then the answer would most definitely be yes.
While Jackie Chan and Jet Li move between Hong Kong and Hollywood, a new generation of filmmakers and performers are emerging. Blood Brothers is one of films that showcase their talents.
Supported by the heavyweight team of director John Woo and his producer Terence Chang, director Alexi Tan hardly puts a foot wrong in his debut. His achievement even more impressive when you learn he was raised in London and was inexperienced with the Mandarin language prior to production.
Atmospheric, with lavish costume and production design, Blood Brothers is more melodrama than thriller. There are bursts of action, as one would expect in any film with John Woo's name attached, but the emphasis is firmly on the ensemble. Hong Kong's answer to Keanu Reeves, Daniel Wu (recently seen in the excellent Protégé) leads the cast but it's Liu Ye, Sun Honglei and Chang Chen that impress most. These are names that you may not be familiar with but each turn in great performances. As does the glamorous Shu Qi, from The Transporter, one of the few female characters in this macho tale.
|
