Film: Fulltime Killer
Release date: 29th March 2004
Certificate: 18
Running time: 100 mins
Director: Johnny To, Wai Ka-Fai
Starring: Andy Lau, Takashi Sorimachi, Simon Yam, Kelly Lin, Cherrie Ying
Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller
Studio: Tartan
Format: DVD
Country: Hong Kong
Before receiving awards and plaudits around the globe with movies such as Exiled and the Election series, Johnnie To already had a wide array of films to his name. Looking back on some of his lesser known works, such as this adaption of the Pang Ho-Cheung novel ‘Fulltime Killer’, gives a revealing insight into a director who has been developing and honing his skills for years.
The story starts showing O undertaking a hit. He is calm and methodical. When confronted by an old friend, he doesn't hesitate in killing him in order to protect himself. Then we meet another professional hit-man, Tok. When his first assassination involves a bagful of grenades, we see he is a man who is more interested in the impressive style in which he takes people out in rather than any sense of dignity or composure.
O is the better, renowned for his efficiency and ability to stay below the radar, whereas Tok is new to the game, and wants to make a name for himself in any way possible. Tok knows the only way to do this is to be the man to take down the infamous O, and will do anything in his power to draw him out.
This bait comes in the form of Chin, O's house cleaner and the only person O seems to care for, although their relationship is one of voyeurism and hidden feelings as his paranoia and insecurity stops him from being able to relate to her in any meaningful way. Tok enters her life and initiates her into the world these two men live in through his charm, and a charisma that O lacks.
As a deadly game of cat and mouse plays out between O and Tok, Agent Lee, an Interpol agent tasked with the unenviable task of finding and stopping the two, starts to close in as their battle of wits draws him ever closer to his goal. With a desire that borders on obsession to bring both men to justice, he will go to any lengths to get to the pair before they escape him again.
As events escalate, it is only a matter of time before they must finally confront each other to see just who the better is, and who will get caught in the crossfire…
With a brooding and calm demeanour, Takashi Sorimachi shows us O as a man who excels at a job where emotions are distractions he can't handle, yet who longs for something tangible and real as his self-enforced detachment and solitude have left him so secretive that he doesn't so much live his own life, as watch it from afar.
Meanwhile, Andy Lau brings his usual charisma to the role of Tok, a character who revels in his own notoriety. He is brash, easily excitable and never shy about expressing his emotions, whether through words or, often times, acts of extreme violence.
The contrasts between the two are shown often. Each has his own distinct colour, suited to their personality, which bathes them throughout the movie - ice cold blue for O and a fiery red for Tok. The way in which they undertake their assignments also reveals an insight into how their minds work differently to achieve a common goal. However, it is scenes where they react to being double crossed that the parallel between the two is best shown. O calmly exacts a clinical yet devastating retribution on the man who betrayed him, while Tok charges headlong into the trap, taking glee in springing it, trusting on nothing more than his own ability to get him through, before gleefully turning the tables on those who wronged him.
As the object of both of the protagonists’ affection, it is nice to see Kelly Lin play such a strong character in what could easily have been a one-dimensional ‘damsel in distress’ role. Instead, she quietly keeps the story flowing. At first, she is seemingly caught up in the madness caused around her by her contact with the two killers, but then it slowly becomes apparent that she has masterfully orchestrated her way into their world as a solution to her “quiet” and “boring” life. Her scenes with O and Tok help to establish the differences between them outside of their profession. The former watching her from a distance but unable to make the contact he desires, while the latter literally bursts into her life with his cocky and assured approach.
The standout, however, is Simon Yam, a man obsessed with O. He has seen the damage that O has caused and wants it to end. His chance comes when Tok enters the scene and O is forced to take a reactive role which finally brings him into Yam’s cross-hairs. Upon finally meeting O, his grin is wolfish and predatory, perfectly conveying his joy of the hunt yet also his excitement at the chance to end it. It is only after a botched arrest attempt when he is physically unable to pursue O any longer that he is forced to take in the scope of the damage his obsession has caused to those around him, beautifully conveyed as he surveys a street that is littered with his dead and wounded team.
This leads to an unconventional final act as the film starts to follow him and his descent into despair. This is unexpected and slightly disappointing as the focus is taken off the two killers. However, it is thanks to Yam's performance that this works as we see how his encounters with these two killers have left him a broken man. There is no gung-ho desire for revenge as might have been expected, but instead we see a man who has lost everything to his obsession. Yet he is still so close to the case that even though his role in the story between the two is over, he must find out how the story ends in order to have any kind of catharsis.
As you would expect with a Johnny To film, the action scenes are shot and staged beautifully - a gun fight where the three finally meet at an apartment building is a highpoint that any action fan will want to see for themselves. The only problem is the final face off between the two. After so many excellent yet varied action sequences showcasing the differences between how O and Tok operate, the pay-off to the entire movie is quite short and plagued by an over reliance on a pop culture reference that takes away some of the tension in favour of ridiculousness. Whilst it doesn't ruin the movie, the fact that it can't live up to the standards that have been previously set is slightly unsatisfying.
Star turns, a decent script and some dazzling fight choreography stop this time old tale of a newcomer trying to prove himself to the old hand from being anything but predictable. It conveys the differences between the two killers without judgement. There is no good or bad guy, and this means there is a layer of investment in these characters that make the final outcome all the more potent. DM
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