Mad Detective

Infobox Film
name = Mad Detective


caption = Promotional poster
director = Johnnie To
Wai Ka-Fai
producer = Johnnie To
Wai Ka-Fai
starring = Lau Ching-Wan
Andy On
Lam Ka-Tung
Kelly Lin
music = Xavier Jamaux
cinematography = Cheng Siu-Keung
editing = Tina Baz
distributor = flagicon|Hong Kong China Star Entertainment Group
flagicon|China China Film Group
flagicon|USA IFC Films
released = flagicon|Hong Kong November 29, 2007
flagicon|Singapore November 29, 2007
flagicon|Italy September 6, 2007 (Venice Film Festival)
flagicon|Canada September 12, 2007 (Toronto International Film Festival)
flagicon|USA July 17, 2008 (IFC Centre)
runtime =
country = Hong Kong
language = Cantonese
budget =
website = http://www.ifcfilms.com/viewFilm.htm?filmId=636
amg_id = 1:415860
imdb_id = 0969269

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"Mad Detective" (zh-cpcy|c=神探|cy="Sun taam"|p="Shen tan") is a 2007 Hong Kong crime thriller film produced and directed by Johnnie To and Wai Ka-Fai, and starring Lau Ching-Wan as a police officer, who decides to come out of retirement to help a rookie cop (Andy On) solve a murder case, involving a missing colleague and a suspected cop (Lam Ka-Tung) suffering from a form of multiple personality disorder.

Plot

Outline

Inspector Bun (Lau Ching-Wan) is a brilliant detective who is forced into retirement after presenting his retiring boss with a severed ear. Bun's gift is that he can supposedly see a person's "inner personalities," or hidden ghosts.

Years later, Inspector Ho Ka-On (Andy On) visits Bun in an attempt to break the case of Wong Kwok-Chu (Lee Kwok-Lun), a colleague who went missing when he and his partner, Ko Chi-Wai (Lam Ka-Tung) were in pursuit of a suspect. Wong has been AWOL for 18 months, and his gun has been used in a series of armed robberies.

Bun comes out of retirement and discovers that rather than being one man, Chi-Wai is a seven spirit collective (with each perhaps representing an aspect of the seven deadly sins with the head, or brain, being a business-like woman (Jay Lau). He also discovers that Chi-Wai had his gun stolen by an Indian, so he killed Wong to steal his gun.

When investigating, Bun takes Ho's gun and identification and runs off. Ho continues the investigation and gets assaulted by Chi-Wai, who wants Ho's gun which Ho doesn't have. Bun meets Ho again later on where he sees Ho's inner person, a scared, bewildered, stupid child. Ho attempts to take in Chi-Wai by himself but, upon finding out that Chi-Wai's gun, which was taken from Wong, matched Chi-Wai's gun (Chi-Wai altered his gun's information online), he begins to trust Chi-Wai. Bun then sent an SMS to Ho, telling him that after Chi-Wai gets his old gun back again by killing the Indian, he would kill Ho but Ho does not believe Bun.

Chi-Wai and Ho go to a warehouse and find the Indian and Bun shows up as well. Bun tries to warn Ho what will happen, again, but Ho, not believing Bun and believing that Bun is the enemy, calls Bun in order to reveal Bun's position. A shootout occurs, ultimately leading to the Indian and Bun pointing their guns at Chi-Wai and Ho pointing his girlfriend's gun at Bun. Chi-Wai shoots and kills the Indian while Ho shoots Bun. Chi-Wai turns and shoots Ho, as predicted by Bun. Bun, however, begins to limp towards Chi-Wai, who shoots desperately at Bun to try to kill him. Bun ultimately kills Chi-Wai.

Just as Bun dies, he sees Ho's inner personality, the scared boy, being led by a business-like woman, which looks eerily similar to the woman that led Chi-Wai. Ho then begins to fabricate a story of what happened in the warehouse.

Cast

* Lau Ching-Wan as Inspector Chan Kwai-Bun
* Andy On as Inspector Ho Ka-On
* Lam Ka-Tung as Officer Ko Chi-Wai
* Kelly Lin as May Cheung
* Flora Chan as May Cheung (in Bun's eyes)
* Lee Kwok-Lun as Officer Wong Kwok-Chu
* Jo Koo as Cunning Woman/Ho's Inner Personality
* Jay Lau as Calculating Woman/Ko's Inner Personality
* Lam Suet as Fatso
* Cheung Siu-Fai as the Violent Man
* Eddy Ko as The Chief

References and similarities to popular culture

The film's central character, Chan Kwai-Bun (played Lau Ching-Wan), is a possible reference to Vincent van Gogh. [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0969269/faq#.2.1.3 Sun taam (2007) - FAQ ] ] Bun's self-mutilation, in which he cuts off his own ear, is similar to the behavior of van Gogh, a brilliant artist, who was known to have cut off his own ear and suffered recurrent bouts of mental illness, which led to his suicide.

Another character, Ko Chi-Wai (played by Lam Ka-Tung), and the various circumstances surrounding him, are possible references to Tsui Po-ko, a Hong Kong police constable who was implicated in a number of crimes, which included bank robbery and murder. It is said that Tsui had suffered from schizotypal personality disorder, similar to Chi-Wai's disorder in the film.

Wong Kwok-Chu (played by Lee Kwok-Lun), Chi-Wai's partner, shares similarities with Leung Shing-Yan, a Hong Kong policeman who was shot to death in the line of duty by his partner, Tsui, who also stole his .38 revolver afterwards and used it for other murders.

Production

The film reunites Johnnie To with Wai Ka-Fai, four years after working together on the 2003 film "Running on Karma". The producing and directing duo also reunites with actor Lau Ching-Wan after 2002's "My Left Eye Sees Ghosts".

The film was written by Wai Ka-Fai and Au Kin-Yee, frequent screenwriters for films made by Milkyway Image.

Reception

Category III Rating

Prior to the film's release, Wai Ka-Fai discussed the film's Category III rating (18+ restriction) for the film, saying that the rating was based on one exceptionally violent scene in the movie and since he felt the scene was crucial to the story he and his partner, Johnnie To, refused to delete it in order to get a Category IIB rating. [ [http://www.varietyasiaonline.com/kaijushakedown/MAD-DETECTIVE-UPDATE Mad Detective update - Asia entertainment news from Variety - varietyasiaonline.com ] ]

Festivals

"Mad Detective" was screened at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival's Special Presentations, a showcase for daring and artistic films with high-profile stars or directors. It also premiered in Italy at the 64th Venice International Film Festival.

Awards

Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards
* Best Screenplay (Wai Ka-Fai, Au Kin-Yee)

Asian Film Awards
* Best Screenplay (Wai Ka-Fai, Au Kin-Yee)

Hong Kong Film Awards
* Best Screenplay (Wai Ka-Fai, Au Kin-Yee)

Nominations

Hong Kong Film Awards
* Best Picture
* Best Director (Johnnie To, Wai Ka-Fai)
* Best Actor (Lau Ching-Wan)
* Best Cinematography (Cheng Siu-Keung)
* Best Film Editing (Tina Baz)
* Best Costume and Makeup Design (Stanley Cheung)
* Best Visual Effects (Raymond Man)

Box Office

Upon its release, "Mad Detective" faced stiff competition with American blockbusters "30 Days of Night" and "The Heartbreak Kid". The film was released in Hong Kong on November 29, 2007, making first place and grossing over HK$3.84 million; the film was considered a great success by its Hong Kong distributor China Star Entertainment Group, which took it out on a midsized 30 prints. [ [http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117976940.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 Hong Kong box office goes 'Mad' - variety.com/ ] ] Finally, it had grossed over HK$10.67 million in Hong Kong, which is a very good result for a movie that received a Category III rating in Hong Kong. [ [http://www.hkfilmart.com/weeklyboxoffice.asp?wbid=440&go.x=38&go.y=2 hkfilmart.com ] ]

Distribution

Independent film distributor IFC Films picked up the distribution rights to "Mad Detective". The studio plans to distribute the film in theaters and through VOD on the same day as part of their First Take program. [ [http://www.mania.com/56794.html Ifc Picks Up Mad Detective ] ]

Eureka Entertainment acquired the distribution rights for the United Kingdom, opening theatrically on July 18, 2008 at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) London and nationwide after that, with DVD and Blu-ray Disc slated for October 20, 2008 releases as part of their Masters of Cinema series.

References

External links

*imdb title|id=0969269|title=Mad Detective
* [http://www.maddetective.com/index.html Official UK Website]
* [http://www.tiff07.ca/filmsandschedules/filmdetails.aspx?id=707111749291386 TIFF '07 - Films & Schedules Mad Detective]
* [http://www.tiffreviews.com/2007/film-profile?fid=240 Mad Detective: TIFF Review]
* [http://www.milkywayimage.com Milkyway Image Official Website]
* [http://www.hkcinemagic.com/en/movie.asp?id=9937 Mad Detective at HongKongCinemagic.com]
* [http://www.ifc.com/film/film-news/2008/06/video-exclusive-trailer-for-th-1.php US Trailer at IFC.com]
* [http://www.maddetective.com/ Official UK Mad Detective Site]