Exiled

i've seen The Mission and Full time Killer and have generally been pleased with Johnnie To's work.

the acting was great, the story/writing/characters were good, but lighting some of the action sequences (the shootout in the restaurant, followed almost immediately by the shootout in the doctor's office) were almost impossible to follow because of his choice of angles and lighting. now, i have a region 1 disc, so if there is a better version out there, get it.

this was a really good movie that, in terms of acting, writing, and directing; is on par with anything that john Woo has done.

Exiled is directed by Johnnie To, and stars Anthony Wong, Nick Cheung, Francis Ng, Simon Yam, Roy Cheung, and Lam Suet. The musical score is composed by Dave Klotz and Guy Zerafa. ***

A former mobster has left the world of crime behind, and settled down, eager to live out his life with his lover and newborn son. Unfortunately, a good thing like this can't last forever. A mob boss he once tried to kill in his earlier years has held a grudge - and sent two assassins out for his blood. Two others show up to stand in his defense, and eventually the group all bonds, and realize they have a common enemy - who they form a plot against. ***

Despite its limited release in American theaters, Exiled has received almost universally positive reviews - and rightfully so. As with most pieces of Asian action cinema, the battle and other action scenes look absolutely spectacular. There isn't a deep, complex story here - and there doesn't have to be. This is an action picture first and all other things second. And where it succeeds, it succeeds beautifully. ***

The performances are one aspect of this movie fully in need of praise. The cast assembled here gives an excellent show, and with all that goes on during the course of things, you won't want to take your eyes off the screen. Every actor in this film is a talented one - even if you don't recognize these names, don't let it steer you away. While a bit light on character development, all of these individuals have screen presence, and spare no expense at making it known. ***

Also praiseworthy is the excellence in direction. Director Johnnie To is no stranger to this type of film, and here he creates something that, for its entire duration, never gets boring. The pacing is always spot-on, and he makes the best possible use of the time allotted. It's tough to keep an audience's attention these days, but rest assured, To succeeds with flying colors here. It's easily one of his best films to date, and it's not hard to see why he has won a number of "best director" awards for his works here.

Image And Sound:

The screener disc I viewed does not necessarily represent the final released product.

Special Features:
None on the screener disc I viewed.

Final Words:

Johnnie To and the film's cast have given us one of the best Asian action films of recent years. Action-packed and entertaining for its entire duration, Exiled shouldn't fail to please. Strongly recommended!

Exiled isn't as good as Johnny To's previous effort, Election 2, although still stands head and shoulders among most recent action movies despite its flaws. The protracted opening sequence tends to feel a bit too much like posing until it really gets going and despite usually being at his best in To's films, unfortunately Simon Yam goes all Jack Nicholson this time out as the gang boss whose impatience causes all the problems. There are some nice moments of humanity, like the widow continually squeezing the trigger of a gun long after she's emptied it, but the riffing on The Wild Bunch starts to feel awfully self-conscious at times. Still, Red Bull must be pleased as punch to have the classiest bit of product placement in recent years, and "There's no furniture" may just be my favorite line of dialogue all year.

EXILED is directed by Johnnie To (Full Time Killer, Election, Breaking News), one of the most acclaimed directors of Hong Kong. Johnnie To is the epitome of hard-boiled cool, his films are fresh, visually inventive and have that cinematic magic. The cast of Johnnie To's hit "The Mission" has been reunited for this film. No, this is not a sequel, although it does have very similar characters. Exiled won numerous awards in Hong Kong, including `Best Director'.

PLOT synopsis loosely derived from the DVD back cover:
The time is 1998. The setting is Macau. Every living soul jumps at every chance to make quick money before the Portuguese colony ushers in a new era under the Chinese rule. For the jaded hit men, they wonder where this journey will end.
Against this background of fin-de-siècle malaise come two hit men from Hong Kong sent to take out a renegade member trying to turn over a new leaf with his wife and newborn baby. They soon find themselves in the throes of a dilemma when two of their former associates also show up, intent on thwarting them at every cost. Once there, all 5 men must find a way to resolve the situation. But can they, without getting anyone killed in the process?

At first look, one may take `Exiled' a buddy flick. But believe me; the movie succeeds in side-stepping that impression. Johnnie To is back! This is the type of film his fans loved him for, this is purely a testosterone-driven, bloody heroic violence. The term "epic violence" may apply to this film. This is a guy's film, not to say chicks won't dig it, but males will truly appreciate it more. This is not a sappy, funny comedy.

One of the best things about "Exiled" is the INVENTIVE action sequences. Long distance gunfights are a bit low-key, subtle but extremely intense. Close quarters gun battles have the usual "BULLET BALLET" reminiscent of Chow Yun Fat. Johnnie To made the right decision dividing the segments of the stylized gun battles, low-key or "bullet ballet", To's talent shines through. The gun battles are very FRESH with his usual signature style.

Another great thing with this film is the cast. Anthony Wong, Francis Ng, Lam Suet, Roy & Nick Cheung, Josie Ho, Richie Ren and Simon Yam, they are ALMOST in the majority of To's films. The chemistry of the cast meshes very well considering they worked together in most of Johnnie's films. That is one of the magic of To's film making, he always find the right actors for his films.
Nice touches, such as two dueling hitmen having a drink and having friendly "small talk" , they know they will eventually end up trying to kill each other. The group enjoying a home-cooked meal (cooked by 2 of them) and reminiscing about their past after the gunfight in the 1st act of the film, adds depth to its characters in a subtle way, at the same time emphasizes a sense of `honor' while setting the film's moody, noirish atmosphere.

I have the UNCUT 2-disc region-3 release from Megastar. (Hong Kong official release)
Note: The MEGASTAR release has the triad handshake, which was cut from theaters to make it category II (rated-R). The uncut version restores the handshake that has a category III rating (NC-17). I'm not sure if Magnolia pictures didn't cut it out.
VIDEO/AUDIO: 2.40 ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN. The transfer is excellent. Colors are vibrant but lean towards a darker contrast. Clean transfer with a few enhancements but not distracting. 6.1 Dolby Ex/6.1 DTS-ES IN Cantonese and Mandarin language. If you're equipped, utilize the DTS track since it is more powerful and crisp. The gunshots do come to life. English Subs are excellent.

Final thoughts:
Johnnie To deserves to continue making movies the way he likes to without any outside influence. While "EXILED" did contain similarities to his previous film; The Mission...so what? "Exiled" is Johnnie's gift to all his fans and is a welcome return to the genre he excels in. Personally, I'm just happy he's back doing what he does best!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! (4 ½ stars)