Maggie Shiu Movies
- 2007
Notorious Untold Story director Herman Yau returns to terrify viewers with this supernaturally-charged tale concerning a Hong Kong policeman whose extramarital affair literally comes back to haunt him. Cheung Lok-man (Mark Cheng) is a hard-boiled CID detective who is better known as "Rockman" by his fellow law enforcers, and who previously entered into a heated tryst with sultry stripper Elli (Teng Tzu-hsuen) while in Thailand investigating a case involving both the Hong Kong and Thai underground syndicates. Unexpectedly summoned back to Hong Kong, Rockman promises Elli that he will return for her sometime in the not too distant future but ultimately fails to make good on his word. Three years later, Rockman is investigating a murder in Hong Kong when his son dies under mysterious circumstances and notorious fugitive Lam Chiu (Kenny Wong) murders a high-ranking policeman. Despite the fact that he was shot in the head by Rockman, Lam miraculously recovers from his would-be mortal wound and finds that he is no longer able to experience physical pain. As the local newspapers scramble to find a connection between the two cases, supernaturally perceptive detective Brother Sum (Lam Suet) begins to suspect that the lovelorn Elli may have placed a curse on detective Rockman after he failed to return to her in Thailand. At first Rockman is skeptical of this speculation, but when his grieving wife Kar-pi (Maggie Siu) begins suffering from a potent form of black magic known as Gong Tau he quickly seeks the assistance of renowned exorcist Master Clear Sea. Unfortunately the exorcism fails to take, causing the malevolent sorcerer who originally placed it to grow infinitely more powerful. Later, when Lam offers to remove the curse that hangs over Kar-pi if Rockman allows him to go free, it is revealed that the originator of the curse was Elli's guardian angel Lockman, and that the malevolent Gong Tau-practitioner is determined to make Rockman and his family suffer the worst torment imaginable. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Cheng, Maggie Shiu, (more)
- 2007
Inspired by a news story the director Pang Ho-cheung noticed while still a high school student, The Exodus tells the darkly comic tale of a world in which the female population are slowly, and methodically doing away with their male counterparts. Sergeant Jim Yip (Simon Yam) is constantly being harped on by his mother in law for not being more successful and wealthy, and largely ignored by his uncaring wife. Likewise, he is largely seen as an outcast by his colleagues on the force, and doesn't have any real friends to speak of. When Sergeant Yip is called on to take over the interrogation of Kwan (Nick Cheung), a man found spying on females in a public restroom, it initially seems like a typical peeping tom case. When Kwan reveals that he was actually attempting to gather evidence about a clandestine group of women plotting to wrestle control of society away from men, the detectives in charge of the case dismiss him as mentally unbalanced. But later, when Kwan alters his deposition, Sergeant Yip believes there may be more to the case than meets the eye and quickly sets out to investigate. What he discovers proves a terrifying new take on the term "battle of the sexes." ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Longtime screenwriter Yau Nai-hoi makes his feature directorial debut with this tale of a Hong Kong surveillance unit ensnared by underworld violence. In the aftermath of a daring daytime jewelry store heist, criminal mastermind Shan (Tony Leung) and his crew celebrate their success with a rooftop barbecue. The good times are quickly cut short, however, when Shan's men summon the wrath of their boss by attempting to muscle him into giving up a bigger cut. But Shan's men aren't the only ones who want a heartier piece of the pie, because it seems as if the boss himself is scheming to take the men at the top for all they're worth. In order to do so, Shan executes a second high-profile robbery that finds him doggedly pursued though the streets by determined cops. In order to catch the elusive criminals the police will have to work harder than ever, a fact that's not lost on grizzled surveillance unit leader Captain Wong (Simon Yam). Known casually by the code name "Dog Head" to his underlings, Captain Wong is currently mentoring pretty rookie "Piggy" (Kate Tsui), and has made it unmistakably clear that the sole function of the SU is not to engage the criminal, but observe him. When "Piggy" breaks the primary rule of the SU during a particularly sensitive mission on the streets of Kowloon, Shan retaliates by striking back at the unit with everything he's got. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Simon Yam, Tony Leung Kar-Fai, (more)
A crime family flirts with democracy, leading to a fierce gangland battle in this stylish crime drama from Hong Kong director Johnnie To. With over 50,000 members, the Wo Shing Society is one of the largest and most powerful Triads in Hong Kong, and when the leadership committee needs a new head man, they decide to put the matter to a vote of their underlings. The two candidates are Lok (Simon Yam), a cool leader who doesn't rattle easily, and Big D (Tony Leung Kar-Fai), who has a short temper and is prone to violence. After Uncle Weng (Wong Tin-lam), an elderly and well-regarded member of the Triad, gives Lok his endorsement, he wins by a landslide, which does not sit well with Big D's uncertain temper. A ceremonial walking stick which is given to the Wo Shing Society's elected leader has disappeared, and Big D will stop at nothing to make sure it stays out of Lok's hands; meanwhile, the Hong Kong police are determined to bring down the Triad, and Big D ends up behind bars. The Wo Shing Society falls into chaos as in-fighting threatens to tear the Triad apart before the walking stick can be returned and Lok can be inaugurated as their new chief. Election (aka Hak Sewui) was a major box office success in Asia, and the story continued the following year in Election 2 (aka Hak se wui yi wo wai kwai). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Simon Yam, Tony Leung Kar-Fai, (more)
Hong Kong-based filmmaker Johnny To directed this fast-moving action drama that explores the role of the media in current events. The Hong Kong police force takes a beating in the court of public opinion after their unsuccessful attempt to foil a high-stakes robbery is broadcast on live television. Determined to turn the tables, detectives on the force discover where the five criminals who masterminded the job are lying low, and they stage a major siege at the hideout. The hundreds of police officers have also armed themselves with cameras along with their guns as they turn the ambush into a media event. The thieves prove to be a difficult quarry to capture and they use their own video equipment to send pictures to the press at the same time, turning the shootout into a battle of images as well. Breaking News stars Kelly Chen, Richie Jen, and Nick Cheung. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richie Ren, Kelly Chen, (more)
Johnny To's police drama PTU details the ramifications of an officer losing his weapon. Seargant Lo (Lam Suet), head of the police anti-crime division, finds his gun missing after an altercation with a gang. Police Tactical Unit (PTU) team leader Mike Ho (Simon Yam), not wanting to get the soon-to-be-promoted Lo in hot water, gives him some time to recover the firearm. While Li and Mike attempt to find the gun before the gang kills anyone with it, police investigators suspect that there may be corruption within the PTU. To filmed the picture off-and-on for over two years before it played at the 2003 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
The title of this Hong Kong crime tale translates as "dark flowers," slang for an underworld contract. While a gang war is developing, Macao cop Sam (Tong Leung Chiu-wai) takes on a gunman in a restaurant where bald Tony (Lau Ching-wan) is eating. After Sam goes to a mobster's restaurant where an informant is tortured, he finds a headless corpse in his apartment. Then a nightclub owner is murdered, and Sam moves fast to find the killer in an effort to prevent the gang war from escalating. However, he gets a full dose of action after he pins the crime on Tony. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lau Ching-Wan, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, (more)
- 1993
Popular Hong Kong movies of the 1960s featured lots of musical numbers between matinee idol lovers, cliff-hanger plot moments (leaving a player in peril while the movie considers other business before coming back to them), and martial arts moves that could only take place in fantasyland. This popular movie is a spoof of those films, and includes performances by Feng Po-po, who was a child star in that period, and a parody of Lui Kei's heartthrob roles enacted by Tony Leung Kar-fai. The story, curiously enough, is set in the present. Wong is a writer who seems to have reached as far as she can in her career and is extremely frustrated by it. When she gets embroiled in a gangland battle, she decides to have a little fun with it and plants a note on the scene alleging the involvement of "La Femme Noire" (The Black Rose.) The joke is that this is the name of a fictional character from the sixties. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maggie Shiu, Teresa Mo, (more)
