Mad Detective (2007)

Right, well I stumbled upon "Mad Detective" (aka "San taam") in 2019, blissfully unaware of its existence prior to finding it. But given my love and admiration for the Hong Kong cinema, I needed no persuasion in sitting down to watch it.

While the storyline in "Mad Detective" sure was unconventional and rather avantgarde in terms of the usual movies that you see from the Hong Kong cinema and also by director Johnnie To himself, then this wasn't exactly the finest moment in Hong Kong cinema, nor in Johnnie To's directorial track record.

The storyline was somewhat befuddled and somewhat difficult to really keep up with, because directors Johnnie To and Ka-Fai Wai were setting out to accomplish a little bit too much in terms of what they managed to deliver. Which was essentially a shame, because the movie suffered from this. It could otherwise have been a truly outstanding and remarkable movie, but the end result, sadly, turned out to be mediocre at best.

Actors Ching Wan Lau and Andy On carried the movie quite well. And of course with the likes of Ching Wan Lau, then you know you are getting a top notch performance. And it was interesting to see him in a movie such as this, and this role shows what kind of a diverse actor he really is. Just a shame that the storyline was working like an anchor around the actors legs.

Aside from Ching Wan Lau and Andy On, then the movie also boasts some other interesting names and familiar faces to the cast list, especially for a long time fan of the Hong Kong cinema like myself.

Sure "Mad Detective" was entertaining enough, but something of the enjoyment was smoldering away because of the rampart storyline and the fact that the two directors seemed to work in opposites of one another. I got through the entire movie, but felt my attention span start to falter throughout the course of the movie. And despite of my love for the Hong Kong cinema, then "Mad Detective" is not a movie that I will be watching a second time around.

Fmovies: Johnnie To & Wai Ka-Fai's Mad Detective is a film that turns the Hong Kong crime genre upon it's head. Based around the simple concept of a man that can see everyone's hidden persona's, Mad Detective is anything but formulaic and right from the very start dissuades any notion that this is just another flashy HK crime flick. Lau Ching-Wan stars as the eponymous Mad Detective, Inspector Chan Kwai-Bun, a brilliant detective forced into retirement when his methods and actions become a little too bizarre. Alongside him Andy On plays young Inspector Ho who tries to enlist the aid of retired Inspector Bun to solve a complex murder case involving a missing police officer and a suspect with multiple personalities.

What follows is a highly ingenious, highly inventive and above all, highly entertaining piece of cinema. Paced perfectly, this viewer sat on the edge of his seat, intrigued and enthralled in equal measure and delighting and the simple, unrestrained freshness of this film and it's premise. Lau Ching-Wan plays his part exceptionally well as the oddball Inspector Bun, throwing all semblance of logic out of the window as he investigates the case, but it's a straight faced performance; there's no comedy here as the plot and it's characters take themselves very seriously. However, despite this it's hard not to find humour in some of the scenes involving multiple personalities, and whether this was the directors intent or not, it does provide a handful of light hearted moments that help to break up this complex and down-right weird film into more palatable pieces.

Overall, if you're looking for a crime film that's as inventive and intriguing as it is enjoyable, you can't go wrong with Mad Detective. See it now before Hollywood does an inevitable remake.

"Mad Detective" starts promisingly. It shows that Johnny To has hit on a premise that allows his movie to not make sense without that perhaps being too much of a problem. However it falls apart towards the end and becomes just as maddeningly obtuse as all his other movies, the novel starting point hurting the movie in the final act.

Bun is a detective with a supernatural gift - or is he just crazy? - that lets him see a person's "true personality". He is fired after he cuts off his own ear and tries to give it to his superior.

Some time later, a policeman has gone missing and his gun has been used in murders. Bun is tracked down to find the culprit.

Most of the above I had to check Wikipedia to find out. I remember the ear cutting bit, the fact that Bun has a "gift", and some of the other stuff. That's the thing with Johnnie To: details of crimes the characters are investigating and the motivations of the characters are always really sketchy, and the ending always requires you to understand stuff you don't.

I think the problem with "Mad Detective" is its style. At first you feel liberated when you realise much of what you see on screen isn't supposed to be real and probably isn't supposed to make sense. You're seeing what the Mad Detective, Bun, sees. But in the end you realise you actually needed to be able to tell the difference between the real and the fake, and the movie doesn't give you enough help in this regard. There should have been a clear stylistic difference between the figments of Bun's imagination and those things that exist outside of his mind, or his second sight.

What felt like an illuminating device only ended up adding more confusion than the usual To film.

Mad Detective fmovies. The story follows a somewhat not-so-sane Hongkong police detective Bun (Lau) who, after solving a crime in "his own way" during the opening sequence of the movie, cuts half his ear off, gets suspended from the force and has to lead on his miserable private life, mainly communicating with the creations of his own mind. As some years have passed, another cop in HK police gets missing in action and Ho (On), a former member of Bun's investigation unit, gets the case and decides to call Bun for help.

The flick is (as title refers) a bit on the side of madness. Though, it doesn't truly get deeply attached to the theme, offering a light view of one side of it. Seems that directors Johnny To and Ka-Fai Wai decided to rule out everything that would "ruin" the picture for audiences more on the side of police-thriller. Bun's tendency to descend to schizophrenia is opened to the viewer quite early in the film and also simply, making it clear that it's just a part of film we wouldn't miss. So everything is opened up for the viewer, just enjoy the story (which doesn't offer too much) and enjoy the acting. A bit of non-linear scene-switching, but that wouldn't bother anyone who doesn't still live in 60's.

Bun's character is the star of this film and Ching Wan Lau plays the role well. Comic at times (a super-cop with half an ear and - during most of the film - a bloody bandage wrapped around his head, looking like a bum after a weekly party) but mainly socializing with inner world of himself and - as he states he can see the 'inner personality' of people - those around him. Especially the lovely relationship with his imaginary wife: everything that's worthy to love in her, everything feminine, was hooked to the image of his mind, so when the real wife (now an ex) finally showed up, the only qualities left for her were those of a mean bitch's.

The film would've been quite Hitchcock's style, if the schizophrenic part of Bun had been left unveiled for a longer period of the movie (as the master hinted to play with the audience, not only caress them). What bothered the most - these god damn in fashion hair cuts - why do the characters have to look like the cover picture of some fashion magazine? It's one of the weakest links in almost all modern Asian movies.

3/5

When i come out from the cinema,the first thing i want to do is buy one more ticket and watch this film again. Because if you miss a little part of this movie, maybe you will be confused,and can't understand the story. So, the night before you watch this movie, please sleep earlier, and keep a clear mind. The story of this movie is about a "crazy" former police(Bun) helping a police on an investigation of an series of recent heists and murders. Bun has the ability see into a person's inner personality ( as ghost in the movie ), everyone has ghosts in their mind, sometimes you can see other people's ghost, but maybe you can't see yours or you will be blind to your ghost. This is the best Hong Kong movie ever. I think this movie should win more award and Lau Ching Wan will be all time best actor in Hong Kong. Hope Johnny To and Wai Ka Fai will bring more new idea ,new stuff, and more more more good movie for Hong Kong.

Johnnie To and Ka-Fai Wai have reinvented the detective genre and things will probably never be the same.

Inspector Ho is stumped by the disappearance of a detective 18 months earlier.Desperate for a break he looks to Bun, a genius profiler with whom he briefly worked years before...when Bun went crazy and was thrown off the force. A funny, tense un-nerving cop drama where nothing is certain. Is Bun a genius or crazy? Has Ho lost his mind? Where will it all end? Its a trip. I'd tell you more but I'm still trying to process what I saw since things shift from our reality to Bun's, often so its not clear. Its a trip and then some. Actually I'd be very surprised if this film doesn't end up with a cult following, an American remake and lots of articles written about it. Its just a nifty little thriller.

Definitely worth a viewing or two.