Mad Detective (2007)

Wonderful Movie

People are voting emotionally.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Before this I haven't watched a single movie for a while (for about 4 months) and I decided to give an opportunity to Asian cinematography. And I certainly did not regret. This movie isn't as complex as other crime movies but it contains great amount of drama and humor. This "weird" detective is one of the best roles I have seen in a while and in my opinion he carries this whole movie to the next level. If you want to give a chance to Asian cinematography I would highly recommend you this movie.

Saw 'Mad Detective' (2007) in CantoneseThe movie is about Detective Bun, a clinically insane detective who had hyper-eccentric methods of solving crimes. He has a supernatural gift of seeing a person's 'inner personality', allowing him to see the true nature of the person rather than just the outward mask.He also lives with his ghost-like illusion of his wife - an apparition that nobody else can see, but he interacts with on a regular basis. He is brought in to a case by Inspector Ka-On, who considers Bun a mentor of sorts.The case is of missing officer Wong, who went on a chase with his partner, Ko Chi-Wai, after an Indian thief into the jungle one night. Wong and his gun went missing that night, and subsequently, the gun has turned up at some robberies which resulted in murders. Inspector Ka-On is on the task of solving the case, and he looks up to Detective Bun for clues.The movie is weird in places, starting with the protagonist seeming like a dark version of 'Monk', but moves on to the supernatural, with Bun's visions being ratified as real. The premise is a bit odd to digest, but is done competently. The audience will have to pay attention to keep track of what is real and what is Bun's visions. I think it could have been done a lot better. But it's not to belittle the movie - I started the movie late at night, thinking I'll just skim through it, but was gripped enough to stay awake throughout.

Another Johnnie To masterpiece, this movie flickers between a heartfelt comedy to a tragic sense of being, to a great study in psychology to intriguing crime drama. And all the time the viewer is left wondering where the line of sanity is drawn; or is it being redrawn as we speak? No matter, as the end of this wonderfully convoluted crime drama perfectly if not bravely ties it all together with satisfying resolve. The acting was top notch, with our main protagonist stealing the show with his zany and occasionally sad antics. The direction oozed of style, and the camera allowed for its dark atmosphere to sneak out stolen color with aplomb. The score was light in tone and perfectly augmented the lightheartedness of insanity, keeping the bleak notion of the story's reality from besmirching our fun. Told with a sense of balance that threatened to be lost at any moment, this was a story with no need of bullet ballets to keep the viewer saddled with tension. Merci beaucoup. Genruk of Evil Eye Reviews

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.