Dog Bite Dog shocks its audience with a brutality rarely seen in Hong Kong cinema. The exorbitant violence, a necessary evil for survival in Dog Bite Dog, ensures the film a cult following. Acclaimed director Soi Cheang (Home Sweet Home) departs from frightening thrillers for this stunning piece. Edison Chen (Infernal Affairs II) and Sam Lee reunite after Gen-Y Cops, delivering breakthrough performances as a merciless assassin and a mentally unstable cop, respectively. The normal struggle between a cop and an assassin takes place in a surprisingly nihilistic world, creating enormous cinematic tension and a relentlessly pessimistic mood. Visually and thematically unique among Hong Kong films, Dog Bite Dog is a must-see for those interested in alternative cinema.
Edison Chen gives up his usual Prince Charming roles in this film without heroes. With yellow-dyed hair and tanned skin, he plays Pang Jr., a Cambodian hitman accustomed to cruelty since childhood. He arrives in Hong Kong to kill a judge's wife, but ends up abandoned in this unfamiliar city, shooting at whoever crosses his way. Sam Lee, known more for comedic characters in recent years, takes up the challenging role of Wai, a cop with an extreme personality. His anger explodes when Pang Jr. kills his colleagues one by one, and he becomes as inhumane as his opponent. Sichuanese actress Pei Wei Ying, best known for appearing in a cell phone commercial opposite Jay Chou a few years ago, plays the assassin's newfound girlfriend. Her appearance signifies the only humanity that remains in the merciless hitman. Veteran television actor Lam Ka Wah returns as the cop's father, and Eddie Cheung and Lam Suet from Election round out the cast as police officers.
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
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