Movie Reviews - Sparrow // Triangle

Triangle (Tie Saam Gok) and Sparrow (Man Jeuk)

I'm going to try something new and compare two movies I saw at Fantasia, Jonny To's 'Sparrow' and 'Triangle' directed by To, Tsui Hark and Ringo Lam. To summarize, 'Sparrow' follows a group of four pickpockets in Hong Kong while 'Triangle' is an 'exquisite corpse' where each of the three directors write and direct a section of the movie.

Off the bat, 'Triangle' was the superior movie. Arguably one could argue that this this is somewhat obvious, and that such comparisons are unfair because 'Triangle' has the weight and credit of 3 different well-known directors behind it. While I understand these criticisms, I believe that 'Triangle' is better primarily because 'Sparrow' was such a mediocre (at best) film.

To's 'Sparrow' was an experience of style over content. We are introduced to the four pickpockets as they meet at their usual meeting spot (a small restaurant) and quickly watch them 'accidentally' bump into pedestrians, taking their wallet, watches, and other valuables. Each in turn meets Kelly Lin's Chung Chun Lei, who woos each in turn. However, the four soon find out she has gang connections (in a humorous scene where they all show up to the restaurant with broken limbs) and (in true To fashion) decide to band together and aid her.

At its peak moments, 'Sparrow' is fun to watch as we see the tricks of the pickpocket's trade. Indeed, several of the scenes parallel the excitement of a heist movies, and in one scene, in a game of one-upmanship between the pickpockets, we watch as two of the main characters steal the handcuffs from a roaming police officer. Perhaps the best the movie has to offer though, its its final scene, a stylish blend of back-and-forth stealing as the two rival gangs cross one another at a busy intersection. While it is predictably (perhaps stereotypically) shot in slow motion and in the rain, it a fun scene nonetheless and nobody can accuse this movie of not knowing what its doing in terms of cinematography. Writing on the other hand is a different story.

Outside of several key gems, the film is painfully straightforward, emotionally unmoving, and suffers from mediocre dialogue that borders camp. Like the previously reviewed 'Pye Dog' the movie failed to stand on its own two feet and relies heavily on only several good scenes while the rest of the film is a total drag. Like a box of children's cereal, it may look amazing and even give you a few treats, but in the end 'Sparrow' gives you next to nothing in terms of nutritional content or gratification.

'Triangle' on the other hand was an interesting ride. To start off the film, the first director (Tsui) opens as many doors possible so that the later two directors can take the movie in their own direction, but also lays the groundwork for the 'core' storyline. In its second act, Lam grabs the story and runs with the previous themes established, but also throws in a few ideas of his own, and finally To has the not so simple job of tying it all together.

The problem with this interesting filmmaking experiment is the scattered nature of the plot and direction. While certainly I didn't expect it to flow perfectly together the viewer is ultimately exposed to both the best and worst that each director brings to the table and as each tries to puts his own spin on the storyline, the emotional range of the same character swings from incredibly dark to just plain wacky. Moreover, loose plotlines are picked up and dropped like a bad prom date.

That being said, watching the film is still an entertaining experience and the pros outweigh the cons and I find myself redeeming To for the blah-fest that was 'Sparrow' as he expertly crafts the ending of 'Triangle' working out just about all of the kinks his fellow directors threw into the plot, while tossing in a few of his own. The final scene was a well-directed, clever, and rewarding Mexican stand-off that made the entire experience worthwhile. That's not to say that the premise of the film wasn't interesting in its own right, but a good idea is just that, a good idea...not a good film and To's addition really helped make 'Triangle' into a pretty good film.