DICK STEEL I guess the holidays now give me some extra breathing space and time to raid my DVD library for many films yet unseen, and given my profound admiration of films coming out of Hong Kong's Milkyway Studios, such as the recent Sparrow or Mad Detective, that I would pull Breaking News out of my archives and give it a go too. Helmed by Johnnie To and written by Chan Hing-Ka and Yup Tin-Shing, like the other two films mentioned, this was also picked up by a European film festival (Cannes no less) and probably propelled To to cult like status in the West, with legions of fan (myself included) left almost always anticipating what's To has up his sleeves as his next offering.True, interest in the Hong Kong crime genre might be waning, but To and his band of filmmakers from Milkyway have so far never disappointed in giving the genre some breath of fresh air with each offering put on the table. Here, they managed to put a little spin on a tale between the cops, felons and the media, where the latter can be used as a double edged sword, subject to manipulation to further the political gains of either parties. Exploitation doesn't come from just the cops, because even the villains have their fare share of independent ability to put out material, thanks to new media tools for video and picture hosting. In some ways, this is a little bit like Dog Day Afternoon or 15 Minutes, but given a different take from the Fragrant Harbour.If anything, the opening scene is where the money shot is, and cement this film as a classic amongst To's filmography. It's an almost seven minute long continuous take where we get introduced to almost everyone, from the cops in question to the villains, organizing themselves to move out for their big heist, building tension when everything comes together for an all out showdown with the surveillance team hot at their heels. It's a shoot out from all fronts, and the camera captures it all in one sweeping motion, before we head toward the crowded open streets for more mayhem ala Heat, which culminates in a clip taken by the media when a beat cop surrenders in full view to the criminals, allowing them to escape instead of apprehending them.With the criminals on the loose, a cop obsessed to take them down, the police's public image being tainted, and a commissioner adamant in repairing the force's reputation, Breaking News is an enjoyable thriller with fine balance between the dramatics as well as in the action department, where SDU and PTU units get deployed to flush out the bad guys in some claustrophobic inducing cramped quarters of a block of flats.Richie Jen has this steely cool resolve as chief villain Yuen, who leads his boys from the Mainland in a game of survival, having their plans for a heist end prematurely, and finding themselves up against a hard nosed cop Cheung (played by Nick Cheung), despite being armed to the teeth. Nick Cheung is pretty charismatic here in his role despite being nothing more than an action hero, though if you would like to see him in more dramatic material, then the recent Beast Stalker would be the appropriate choice. Kelly Chen rounds up the leading trio as the opportunistic Commissioner Rebecca Fong, entrusted by the upper echelons with the responsibility to restore pride to the force in the eyes of the media and public, and she goes into overdrive with her single minded focus on just that.Being a Milkyway film, some Johnnie To regulars also make their way here to lend gravitas even though in supporting roles. Simon Yam came on and suggested some romantic tangles with Chen's Fong, while Maggie Siu's cop from the PR department allowed for some measured and experienced handling both within the department, and with the media on the outside. Cheung Siu Fai was dished out a rather plain character though, more like a Yes- Man, while Yong You's character was more of a wildcard who provided the good guys an extra dimension to deal with. The affable Lam Suet's role as a dad caught between the crossfire, allowed for some interesting camaraderie forged during a hostage situation, and is now one of my favourite of his supporting roles in many of To's films.For fans of the genre and of Johnnie To, this is one movie that should not be missed. It had plenty of elements which made it genre defining, and for those who enjoy the many films of his which come with some intelligence required on the part of the good guys when hunting down their enemies, then Breaking News firmly belongs in that territory. Highly recommended!

Roger Burke This one is for all die-hard action fans. And it delivers...From the stunning six-plus minute long take of the first shoot-out between the cops and the gangsters, the action just doesn't stop as a set of four cops attempt to rundown five gangsters. In fact, that first long take is so well done, it's worth seeing this movie just for that, even if you don't want to see the rest of it.And that first take reminded me very strongly of that escape sequence in Heat (1995), when Robert de Niro and gang run the gauntlet of hundreds of cops as they try to get away with millions in cash.However, not only is Breaking News a well-done action flick, it's also a not-so-subtle satire about how the police and the media manipulate the news for their own separate ends. And, coupled with some tongue-in-cheek scenes whereby all the action ceases for a meal break, plus an almost obligatory exchange of views, via the Internet, between the bad guys holed up in an apartment block and the cops in the command post – a touch of humour amidst all the touches of larceny...With such a fast paced story, there's not much room for character development, you would think. Well, there's where you'd be wrong: from the frenetic determination of Inspector Cheung (Nick Cheung), to the Cool-Hand-Luke competence of the bad boss, Yuen (Richie Ren), to the icy calm and control of Commissioner Rebecca Fong (Kelly Chen), all ably supported by an excellent cast of odd-ball characters, director Johnny To must be lauded for being able to show quickly – with a sharp script also – just how likable or unlikable the characters are. No mean feat, in my opinion.One of the most pleasing aspects about this film for me, however, was the complete absence of any martial arts, from any of the characters.Great photography within the seedier parts of Hong Kong coupled with superior editing of the action sequences kept my interest going, and only marred by some of the more obvious mistakes with special effects – particularly how bullet holes magically appeared on car hoods, tops or sides when no shots were fired at them. Or worse, when cars in the line of fire magically escaped being hit. But, I can forgive minor mishaps with timing.You never find out what the gangsters actually did to warrant being chased; you never find out exactly why the cops had them under observation, in the first place; you never find out just why Commissioner Fong hates Inspector Cheung's guts so much. It's like, as the viewer, you turn on your TV to watch a real-life action drama of cops fighting it out with a gang, somewhere in your city, and you sit, transfixed, waiting to see what happens...Guess what? That's what it is – everyday almost: breaking news.

Chrysanthepop Have I missed something here? From the title I thought this would be a film full of suspense and a story that would engage me but in my opinion it has nothing new to offer. I wonder what director To wanted to express through this film. There have been so many movies made on similar subjects. The only difference is that here To tries to portray the media as more involved in the plot but hardly anything stands out. The pace is very slow. The performances are miserable particularly that of Kelly Chen. Cinematography is alright. Even though the long shot in the beginning is somewhat impressive, it's nothing new. well, maybe for a movie like this, it is but that hardly make the experience of 'Breaking News' worthwhile. Anyway, I don't want to waste my time on commenting about this so I'll just end it by saying that I found it boring.

simonize-1 BREAKING NEWS is yet another JOHNNY TO film exploring the theme of honour among thieves. Earlier successes included THE MISSION and FULL TIME KILLER; others would certainly come to mind if I were to peruse his filmography but you can do that yourself on www.IMDb.com!Mr TO and the CREATIVE WRITING TEAM of MILKWAY have a habit of not giving the viewer a lot of information, and letting the visual elements that define cinema take precedence. The opening sequence is very tightly and cleverly shot and edited, so much so that it is a pleasure to sit back and play it over again.That first sequence introduces most of the protagonists, at least those who will do battle; the subsequent act introduces the upper levels of policedom, who decide to stage a publicity coup.The need for more effective policing to ensure the safety of citizens should be paramount, but the woman in charge (KELLY CHEN) is every bit as ruthless as the gunmen in her sights.Caught in the middle is DETECTIVE CHEUNG, the police officer in charge of the initial, disastrous stakeout that sets the story in motion.Every one seems to want to save face: the thieves refuse to surrender even when the odds seem insurmountable; DETECTIVE CHEUNG becomes more an avenger or a vigilante than a lawman, and refuses to back down, even when ordered to desist and give over to SDI, while CHEN in the safety of her control vehicle, uses technology and superior firepower to prove her worth to her superiors.JOHNNY TO and his team must take pride in making films where the viewer must EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED (a superior policier starring the wonderful LAU CHING WAN). BREAKING NEWS is no exception: there are several twists; scenes of quiet humour, which manage to humanize the villains of the piece, and of course, those nice touches that ensure some memorable characterizations.By the time the credits roll, everything has come together, and the muddle of the various conflicts is resolved, quite eloquently.I cannot quite fathom the wide variety of music chosen for this film but it all seems to work.BREAKING NEWS is an entertaining 90 minutes, and certainly does not wear out its welcome. Now that the anamorphically enhanced DVD is out, you can watch it more than once, to savour all its nuances.