So Close (2002)

Sick Product of a Sick System

Good movie but grossly overrated

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

So Close? Not Even Close is more like it, this showy but shallow action flick from the usually reliable Corey Yuen missing its mark by a mile. Shu Qi plays sexy assassin Lynn, Zhao Wei is her cute computer whizz sister Sue, and Karen Mok plays Yat Hong, the tough cop trying to track them down, but a trio of appealing female leads isn't nearly enough to compensate for the unexceptional plot and a glut of CGI and wire enhanced slow-motion action scenes that fail to get the adrenaline pumping.A dull romance between Lynn and an old flame drags things down even further, making it a long slog to the admittedly fun final showdown, which pits Wei and Mok against countless gun toting henchmen and a samurai sword wielding boss.I rate So Close a probably-too-generous 4/10 for the juicy squib work and the samurai sword fight, although I almost knocked off a point for all of the computer generated broken glass that isn't fooling anybody.

In this fun, action packed feature, Shu Qi portrays Lynn, the older, more experienced sister of Sue (Zhao Wei). Since the death of their parents, both sisters have devoted their lives to becoming experts in their chosen careers: professional assassins, with unrivaled computer hacking proficiency. While Sue, who feels vastly under-appreciated, and is desperate to prove her worth, operates the computers and jams enemy systems, Lynn works in the field, dispatching their endeavored targets.After assassinating the head of a major Hong Kong company, the sisters are pursued by brilliant police inspector Kong Yat-hung (Karen Mok) and her associate. At the same time however, those who instigated the job the sisters undertook want them permanently silenced, to ensure no one can trace the assassination back to them. With so many forces converging around them, the sisters have never needed each other like they do now.But when Lynn meets Yen (Song Seung Hun), a man she has loved for many years, she is provided the opportunity to escape the life she is trapped in. Will she take it? Will her sister join her, or will Sue continue pursuing a life of assassination to prove, once and for all, she is as equally adept as her sister? A story of love, family, friendship and revenge, despite a couple of issues with the plot that can be easily overlooked, So Close is a fantastic action film that proves women are not only as equally heroic as their male counterparts on screen, but are often more graceful and intriguing to watch.The fight scenes are fluidly captivating, and are often very appealing, the superb camera work used during these instances really capturing the moment, heightened still by the score that beneficially suits the mood. Although it is obvious that wires are often employed, and though a couple of scenes look very digital, audiences will not be disappointed.Furthermore, occasionally an exchange of dialogue is awkwardly centered around a sexual theme. Although the film could have been executed without this inclusion, these moments were obviously promulgated to make the audience laugh, and despite retaining their unnecessary feel, they actually work. The fights, the scenes, and the aforementioned dialogue are included to present the viewer with a sexy atmosphere, which is marvelously conveyed, without risk of damaging the plot or characters.The sisterly love between Lynn and Sue is brilliantly realistic, and the banter that transpires between them and Kong is equally satisfying, the employment of emotional depth and character development providing additional flavors to an already engrossing feature. By the film's conclusion, it is clearly obvious that So Close is aptly named, for it is so close to being exceptionally perfect, it simply cannot be missed.

I found this film wildly implausible but hugely entertaining. It's no masterpiece but surely an excellent piece of popcorn cinema from Hong Kong. The martial arts make the movie. Without these high-caliber stunts, the film wouldn't work. Some of these are cheesy and over the top. Yet they are performed with energy and I can see why this film is liked by fans of martial arts. The storyline sags a bit in the mid-section but makes up for it with a slightly overlong but exciting climax. Worth seeing if you are a fan of Hong Kong cinema or just enjoy martial arts.Overall 7/10

So Close is THE movie that hooked me onto foreign cinema. Like many Americans I was ignorant to everything except horribly dubbed martial arts films from the 1970s. I visited my video store one day and noticed So Close in the Action section, immediately assuming that it would be a good film to laugh at. Subsequent to watching this film, however, I was confused. Had I just inadvertently watched an EXCELLENT film? Yes, I had! My criteria for excellence is quite simply entertainment value, regardless of the genre (i.e., drama, horror, action, romance, etc.). And yes, there are serious dramas that are quite frankly NOT entertaining, and therefore NOT good movies, regardless of how many awards the "official critics" want to give them. In like manner, there are actioners that are VERY entertaining, and therefore VERY good movies, regardless of how negatively the "official critics" want to rate them. Keeping this in mind, So Close is simply BURSTING with entertainment value.First of all, the action sequences are very well done, and are highlighted by the final infiltration of a corporate high-rise, which ends with an absolutely CLASSIC three-way swordfight. The choreography (both gunplay and swordplay) is phenomenal, and puts the vast majority of actioners to shame. It is admitted that this film focuses more on finesse than the power and brutality of Hong Kong films released in the late 1980s and early 1990s. This is actually a good thing when one considers the originality of the movements and the length of the scenes themselves, which greatly exceed most of the action sequences in previous (and subsequently released) movies. The stylish protagonists use a treasure chest of items – satellite imagery, high-frequency earrings, guns, wall-piercing high heels, miniature grappling hooks, swords, decoy programs, bamboo sticks, etc. – in a wide variety of ways to eliminate the antagonists. The sheer diversity that is showcased in this film is enough to overpower three typical action films put together. Finally, it is a delight to experience action sequences where the characters actually DO something, instead of making theatre poses and shooting little glowing balls at each other (as in Storm Riders and A Man Called Hero). It is also a delight to see carefully choreographed movements, instead of slide-shows with chaotic camera-work that makes the scenes completely impossible to follow (as in Ashes of Time).One important point to be made is that this film contributes characters that are LOVABLE. Regardless of who is present on screen (Zhao, Karen, Shu, or Yasuaki), it is an enjoyable experience. This adds significant entertainment value for scenes shown in-between fights, and therefore enables So Close to avoid the incessant boredom that most actioners inflict upon their viewers.In fact, So Close BLOWS AWAY virtually every other Chinese action movie from the apparent "Golden Age" era of the 1980s and 1990s (with the exception of a limited few, which include Hard Boiled, Fist of Legend, and She Shoots Straight). I almost feel sorry for anyone who is willing to cite movies like Yes Madam, Royal Warriors, In the Line of Duty 3, Women on the Run, Naked Killer, or The Big Heat – none of which can hold a candle to So Close (in terms of action, characters, or sheer entertainment value).Was this film so groundbreaking that it single-handedly opened the flood gates to an entirely new realm of cinema for me to explore? Is So Close the primary reason that I have thusfar viewed over 900 Chinese, Japanese, and Korean movies over the few years and have added over 300 more in my online rental queue? Yes, it was! Rating = 5/5 stars