Hong Kong film review: Cold War (寒戰) 2012

Yes I know this is 5 or 6 years late, but hey, I’ve only seen the film 3 times so give me a break.

First off, yes this a film review. However, it’s also an excuse to talk about Aaron Kwok (郭富城), Tony Leung Ga-Fai (梁家輝, not to be confused with Tony Leung Chiu-Wai 梁朝偉, the dude you know from such films as Infernal Affairs 無間道 and Lust, Caution 色,戒), and a cracking tale of Hong Kong films being Hong Kong films about Hong Kong - not countries adjacent.

Where do we start? In much the same way that the movie steam rolls across your attention and makes everything else unimportant for the next 2 hours, let’s dive right in. This is a police drama, but it’s no ordinary police drama. You think you’re watching a power struggle between the Operations arm of the HK Police and the Management arm, when suddenly a shocking crime is committed and street-beating bobbies are kidnapped for ransom. You think you’re watching a tale about being careful what you wish for, about public servants selflessly toiling away for the Greater Good, the burden heavy on their shoulders. You think you’re watching Aaron Kwok smoulder and glare his way through holding his own against ever-screen-present, impressive HK Film Awards Best Actor Winner Tony Leung.


And you’d be right.

In fact, you’re so caught up in watching these two face off against each other, and race to solve a mysterious crime so well-planned it’s downright scary, that you don’t realise what else is going on right under your nose.

It’s smart, it’s slick, and it doesn’t waste any time. In classic Hong Kong tradition, coppers will be tested, a country’s security will be set against its need for the truth to be transparent, and the police women aren’t here for your crap or your pity. It’s a damn fine slice of HK sign-of-the-times rebelliousness; you can forgive the cheesy speech that serial cameo-maker Andy Lau (劉德華, the dude you know from such films as… oh fuck it, at one point he was in the Guinness Book of World Records for making 9 movie concurrently, so chances are you’ve already seen him 6 times this year and don’t even know it) makes when being proud of Hong Kong’s ICAC (a cinematic representation of the very real Independent Commission Against Corruption) - because he’s right to. It’s one of the few things that the mainland has yet to attack about HK, which surprises me given what it is, but that’s a rant for another time.

Back to the film: thrill as coppers fight for their lives in car chases and shoot-outs. Hold your breath as Deputy Commissioners swing from enemies to allies to enemies to downright sneaky bastards. Grin uncontrollably as you realise what the characters are up to and how they’re setting the chess board. And then shout in frustration as the people you didn’t want to get away with it actually don’t (but not in the way you want) and the people you started out hating end up being the real heroes.

I have to say, this is one of the best films I’ve seen in the last 10 years in any language. It’s tidy, it’s clever, and it doesn’t let you take a breather until you think it’s all over. Spoiler: it’s not! I know the sequel came out in 2016 (and I’ll be reviewing that in the next few weeks, now that I’ve seen this one again) so things do progress, but for now it’s just a near-perfect example of a film that doesn’t faff about and accomplishes a hell of a lot on a relatively small budget. If you are able / can stand to read subtitles for the whole film, then great. If not, then I’m afraid you’re missing out on a real action / thriller treat (however I’m sure there’s a region 1 / USA version that’ll be dubbed into English. However this means you’ll miss out on the actors’ real voices, and that’s a crime).

This won an incredible 9 awards at the 32nd Hong Kong Film Awards (2013) - for Best Film, Best Director (Sunny Luk and Leung Long-Man), Best Screenplay (same), Best Actor (Tony Leung - Aaron was snubbed as usual), Best New Performer (Alex Tsui), Best Editing (Kwong Chi-Leung, Wong Hoi), Best Sound Design (Kinson Tsang), Best Visual Effects (Cecil Cheng) and Best Original Film Score (Peter Kam). It was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor (Gordon Lam), Best Cinematography (Jason Kwan, Kenny Tse) and Best Action Choreography (Chin Ga-Lok, Wong Wai-Fai). (It would be 2016 before Aaron Kwok would finally get a win as Best Actor, for Port of Call 踏血尋梅 - about bloody time!)

Did I fit in enough screen caps? No? Ok, here are a few more:

Verdict: Are you kidding? 9.5 / 10, and that’s the highest I go.

Now I’m off to dig out my sequel DVD.

Peach and frelling lube, people, peach and lube.