Focus on Johnnie To
What:
Focus on Johnnie To
When:
Thurs Nov 6 - Sun Nov 16
Where:
ACMI Cinemas
Watch the trailer to Sparrow:
Here
Win:
We have 3 dbl passes to the Australian premier of Sparrow, Thurs Nov 6, 7pm. To enter, email win@threethousand.com.au with the subject line ‘weird arthouse sheen'
In Hong Kong, Johnnie To's films are such blockbusters that he's credited with single-handedly keeping their entire film industry afloat. But here? Any film that's not in English gains a weird arthouse sheen, and you'll have to head to ACMI's latest retrospective to see what the fuss is about.
There are twelve examples on show from Johnnie To's prolific career, but maybe start with the trailer to 2001's Fulltime Killer. (Guns! Drugs! Blimps!) It's like Seijun Sukuzi's Branded To Kill if it was set in a fireworks factory.
To isn't all action, though. His latest premiere, Sparrow, is a much quieter affair - a playful, French-flick-inspired drama that's filmed so romantically you'll expect its stars to burst into song. The finale, featuring a one-versus-two-dozen war of bravura picketpocketing, is a must-see.
My sentimental favourite, though, is 1999's Running Out Of Time. Wildly successful in Hong Kong, it's a cat-and-mouse thriller about a thief with only 72 hours to live... so, obviously, he embarks on a last, implausible heist. (Wouldn't you?) It's a movie with everything - action, romance, a slight wistful twist - and proof that popular entertainment can sometimes also be poetry.
Format: Cinema
Mood: Rad
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